Futuristic turtle with bio-inspired keel and tail swimming in bioluminescent ocean.

Turtle Tech: How Nature's Designs Could Revolutionize Aquatic Vehicles

Kai Mendoza in Science & Nature December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Scientists study the impact of keels and tails on turtle swimming, uncovering biomimetic secrets for more stable and agile underwater tech."

For engineers and biologists alike, stability and maneuverability are key considerations when designing anything that moves, whether it's a car, an airplane, or a submarine. In the animal kingdom, these two factors are crucial for survival, influencing an animal's ability to find food, evade predators, and navigate its environment effectively. So, how do animals achieve this balance?

Aquatic turtles, with their rigid shells and unique swimming style, offer a fascinating case study. Unlike fish that use their bodies for propulsion, turtles rely on their limbs to move through the water. This rigid body plan, combined with the presence (or absence) of keels (ridges on their shells) and tails, makes them excellent models for understanding how different structural features affect swimming performance.

A recent study published in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics explores the role of keels and tails in turtle swimming, seeking to understand how these features contribute to stability and turning ability. By studying how turtles use these structures, researchers hope to unlock design principles that can be applied to create more efficient, agile, and stable aquatic vehicles.

Keels vs. Tails: What Makes a Turtle a Turtle (and a Great Design Template)

Futuristic turtle with bio-inspired keel and tail swimming in bioluminescent ocean.

The researchers investigated how keels of different sizes and shapes impact a turtle's ability to maintain a straight course and resist disturbances in the water. They also looked at how limiting the use of the tail affected swimming performance. To do this, they used painted turtles ( Chrysemys picta), a common species known for its distinct markings.

The team trained turtles to follow a mechanically controlled "prey" stimulus under three conditions:

No structural modifications
With different sized and shaped keels attached to their shells
With restricted tail use

By analyzing the turtles' movements, the researchers were able to assess the impact of each condition on stability (resistance to disturbances) and turning performance (agility and maneuverability).

Turtle Takeaways: Lessons for Future Tech

Interestingly, the study found that the keels tested did not significantly reduce oscillations in turtles, contrary to what might be expected based on their function in boats and some fish species. However, the tail proved to be a valuable asset. When turtles were able to freely use their tails, they experienced reduced oscillations and improved turning performance, acting much like a rudder on a boat.

These findings highlight the complex interplay between different structural features and their impact on swimming. While keels may play a different role in turtles than in engineered vehicles, the tail clearly contributes to stability and maneuverability. This suggests that engineers can draw inspiration from turtle tails when designing aquatic vehicles that require both stability and agility.

Further research could explore the specific mechanisms by which turtle tails enhance turning performance and how these mechanisms can be translated into bio-inspired designs. By continuing to study the natural world, we can unlock new possibilities for creating innovative and efficient technologies.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1088/1748-3190/aae906, Alternate LINK

Title: The Impact Of Keels And Tails On Turtle Swimming Performance And Their Potential As Models For Biomimetic Design

Subject: Engineering (miscellaneous)

Journal: Bioinspiration & Biomimetics

Publisher: IOP Publishing

Authors: Christopher J Mayerl, Alison M Sansone, Lucy M Stevens, Garret J Hall, Michael M Porter, Gabriel Rivera, Richard W Blob

Published: 2018-11-07

Everything You Need To Know

How do aquatic turtles move through the water, and what features make them interesting for studying aquatic locomotion?

Aquatic turtles use their limbs to propel themselves through water, unlike fish, which use their bodies. The presence or absence of keels, which are ridges on their shells, and their tails, contribute to their unique swimming style. These features influence their stability and maneuverability in the water, making them interesting models for studying aquatic locomotion and bio-inspired design.

What type of turtles were used in this study, and what specific structural modifications were tested?

The research involved studying *Chrysemys picta*, commonly known as painted turtles. The researchers evaluated how keels of varying sizes and shapes influenced a turtle's stability and resistance to disturbances. They also assessed how restricting the use of the tail affected the turtle's swimming performance.

Did the keels tested reduce oscillations in turtles, and what role did the tail play in swimming performance?

Surprisingly, the keels tested in the study did not significantly reduce oscillations in *Chrysemys picta*. This contrasts with the expected function of keels in boats, where they enhance stability. However, the tail proved to be crucial for *Chrysemys picta*, as it reduced oscillations and improved turning performance when used freely. This suggests that the tail functions similarly to a rudder.

How can the study's findings be applied to the design of aquatic vehicles?

The study's findings can be applied to the design of aquatic vehicles. Understanding how features like keels and tails influence stability and maneuverability in *Chrysemys picta* can inspire engineers to create more efficient and agile underwater technologies. While keels did not perform as expected, the tail's role highlights the importance of considering bio-inspired control surfaces in aquatic vehicle design.

What other factors influence aquatic locomotion in turtles that were not explored in this study, and what future research could be conducted?

While the study focused on the impact of keels and tails on swimming performance in *Chrysemys picta*, other factors such as shell shape, limb morphology, and muscle physiology also play crucial roles. Further research could explore how these factors interact to influence aquatic locomotion. Additionally, examining other turtle species with different body plans could provide a broader understanding of the design principles underlying efficient aquatic movement.