馬陸是一種生活在潮濕土壤的節肢動物，本實驗使用的馬陸學名為Asiomorpha coarctata，身長約2 公分，一側30 隻腳，共兩側。前進中的馬陸，其腳形成波狀的排列，從尾端朝向吻端傳播，兩側動作相同。本研究目的在了解馬陸的運動及馬陸是如何跨越崎嶇的地形。實驗中，設置一維運動的直線走道，在走道後半段對地面高度做周期性的改變，干擾馬陸走路以此觀察分析馬陸如何跨越崎嶇地形。在平地上，馬陸會以規律的方式行走，8 – 9隻腳組成一個周期的波， 5 – 6隻腳抬起，2 – 4 隻腳接觸地面， 且同一隻馬陸在多次實驗中，平地的移動速度幾乎為一個定值。在凹凸地上，高低比與速度比呈現正相關，計算腳接觸地面的數目，發現高低比下降，凹凸地與腳的接觸數目減少，從步頻與步長的數據中，可知在凹凸地上，腳仍維持一定的步頻，但步長因踩空而減少，這是速度下降的主要原因，而身體與地板間距在凹凸地與平地的比值高於速度比，這可能表示馬陸在凹凸地上，接觸地板的腳伸較長。以步態維持不變，速度大小與腳的接觸數目成正比為假設做計算，在速度比上面，實驗結果高於計算結果，透過計算了解，速度的震盪是受步態與凹凸地的設定所影響。;Millipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Diplopoda characterized by havingtwo pairs of jointed legs on most body segments. In our experiment, we use Asiomorpha coarctata which is a species of millipedes consists of 15 segments, 60legs, and the body length is about 2 cm as our experimental animal. We try to reveal locomotion of the millipede and how the millipede walks over the rough terrain. In our experiment, we set the one-dimensional road which last half is periodic height variation of the substrate. on the smooth part of substrate, the millipede walk regularly with 8 - 9 legs performing one cycle of metachronal wave, 5 - 6 legs on swing and 2 – 4 legs on stance, and the moving velocities are nearly constant in repeating experiment. Varying the high-low ratio of periodic height variation of substrate, we get the positive correlation between the ratio of moving velocities of rough to smooth part of substrate and the high-low ratio of the substrates. On the other hand, the number of the legs with ground contact decreases with the decreasing high-low ratio of the substrates. The stride frequency keeps a basic value and the stride length which varies larger is reduced by step off. The ratios of body-substrate gap are higher than the ratios of moving velocity. This implies that the millipede elongates the legs on the rough part of substrates. However, the millipede performs better than our model calculation. Through the calculation, we know that the fluctuations of instantaneous velocity are due to the relation between the gait and the rough part of the substrate.
