Swimming by switching

In this paper we investigate different strategies to overcome the scallop theorem. We will show how to obtain a net motion exploiting the fluid’s type change during a periodic deformation. We are interested in two different models: in the first one that change is linked to the magnitude of the opening and closing velocity. Instead, in the second one it is related to the sign of the above velocity. An interesting feature of the latter model is the introduction of a delay-switching rule through a thermostat. We remark that the latter is fundamental in order to get both forward and backward motion.