A numerical approach to the optimal control and efficiency of the copepod swimmer

This article presents a geometric and numerical approach to compute the optimal swimming strokes of a larval copepod. A simplified model of locomotion at low Reynolds number is analyzed in the framework of Sub-Riemannian geometry. Both normal and abnormal geodesics are considered along which the mechanical power dissipated by the swimmer is conserved. Numerical simulations show that, among various periodic strokes, a normal stroke consisting of a simple loop shape is maximizing the efficiency.