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]

Christofer J. Clemente
NationalityAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Western Australia
Known forBiomechanics research
AwardsAustralian Research Council grant (2011)
Scientific career
FieldsBiomechanics
InstitutionsUniversity of Queensland
Thesis Evolution of Locomotion in Australian Varanid lizards  (2006)

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

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  1. ^ "Dr Christofer Clemente". UQ Researchers. University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. 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. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. 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.