I wonder how we could apply the microscopic innovation of ciliary locomotion to macro-scale problems? Cilia are those tiny tendrils on some bacteria that gyrate back and forth, propelling the cell in whatever direction it pleases. However, this mechanism is only feasible when the environment around the organism has such a high viscosity that the little filaments can “push off of” the nearby molecules.
So, what counts as a human-scale high-viscosity environment? Tar pits? Magma? Ocean-bottom mud/sediment? Topsoil?
Another microscopic motion tool that operates in the same viscosity regime, the flagellum, works like a spinning screw or drill. Metal drills get used in mining equipment, so how about cilia-like tools for ground-moving?
Aw, heck, who am I kidding? I just want a dirt-roving car capable of rapid subterranean travel.
