Trees, which are woody plants, are hard and thick enough to support their own weight.However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the research group focused on the fact that thin, soft herbaceous plants such as grass and flowers can grow independently to the height necessary for photosynthesis.

　The bodies of herbaceous plants bend significantly due to the loss of water during drying or felling, so it is expected that internal water will play a large role in the mechanism that supports the plant's body.In the cylindrical structure of the plant, the pressure created by a sufficient water supply is reduced to a tension force that pulls the plant upward.The research group developed a formulation based on mechanical theory regarding the effect of this tension on the mechanical stability of plants.

　As a result, herbaceous plants skillfully combine structures that take advantage of the tension generated by internal moisture with light, slender shapes to avoid the phenomenon of falling over due to their own weight (lodging). It was revealed that the robot can maintain an upright position even at a certain height.

　Furthermore, from the perspective of ``which is greater, the influence of tension or the influence of its own weight?'', the plant has ``inherent hardness created by its own material properties and shape'' and ``pseudo hardness caused by moisture''. We determined which type supports the body.As a result, he succeeded in developing a new classification rule for plants that clearly and easily classifies grasses and trees from a mechanical perspective.

　This result was achieved by ``looking at the world of plants through the lens of mechanics.''In the future, it is hoped that this research will become the foundation of a new academic system that makes use of engineering theory and knowledge from the field of botany in an interactive manner.

Paper information:[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] Mechanics-Based Classification Rule for Plants