Christofer Clemente

Christofer J. Clemente is an Australian scientist specialising in biomechanics. He is a Research Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland[1] and in 2011 was awarded a grant of A$375,000 for "Design of a biologically inspired running and climbing robotic lizard" by the Australian Research Council.[2][3]

He has a B.Sc. (2000) and Ph.D. (2006) from the University of Western Australia, his doctoral thesis being on "Evolution of Locomotion in Australian Varanid lizards (Reptilia: Squamata: Varanidae): Ecomorphological and ecophysiological considerations". He has held post-doctoral positions at Cambridge (2007-2009) and Harvard (2010-2012).[4][5][6]

In October 2013 he appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity. His hypothetical donation to this fictional museum was "a lizard popping a wheelie": he explained that when a dragon lizard reaches a certain running speed its front legs lift off the ground because they cannot match the speed of the back legs, so it acquires a bipedal gait, analogous to a bicycle's wheelie.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Dr Christofer Clemente". UQ Researchers. University of Queensland. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Here's $344 million, now make me a lizard robot". news.com.au. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2014. (Note that the figure in the headline refers to the total of multiple grants)
  3. ↑ "Design of a biologically inspired running and climbing robotic lizard (2012–2015)". UQ Researchers. University of Queensland. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Dr. Christofer J. Clemente". (Subject's personal blog). Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Dr. Christofer Clemente". Insect Biomechanics Workgroup. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Former lab members". Propulsion Physiology Lab. Rowland Institute at Harvard. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Lizard popping a wheelie". The Museum of Curiosity: Gallery six. qi.com. October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
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