J4 ›› 2014, Vol. 11 ›› Issue (4): 506-516.doi: 10.1016/S1672-6529(14)60063-9

• 论文 • 上一篇    下一篇

Effect of Flexible Back on Energy Absorption during Landing in Cats: A Biomechanical Investigation

Zhiqiang Zhang, Jialing Yang, Hui Yu   

  1. Institute of Solid Mechanics, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
  • 出版日期:2014-09-30
  • 通讯作者: Jialing Yang E-mail:jlyangbuaa@aliyun.com

Effect of Flexible Back on Energy Absorption during Landing in Cats: A Biomechanical Investigation

Zhiqiang Zhang, Jialing Yang, Hui Yu   

  1. Institute of Solid Mechanics, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
  • Online:2014-09-30
  • Contact: Jialing Yang E-mail:jlyangbuaa@aliyun.com

摘要:

Cats are characterized by their excellent landing ability. During the landing, they extend and bend their flexible backs. This study was undertaken to examine the effect of flexible back on impact attenuation. We collected kinematic and ground reaction force data from cats performing self-initiated jump down at different heights. Based on these measurements, the mechanical energy and elastic back energy were calculated. Further, we derived a beam model to predict back stiffness from the morphology of the vertebral spines. We found that cat could actively modulate the bending level of flexible back and the landing angle at different heights, making some kinetic energy be stored briefly as elastic strain energy in the back. This mechanism allows cat to reduce the kinetic energy dissipated by limbs and improve the efficiency of energy absorption. These results can provide bio-logical inspiration for the design of a flexible spine on a landing robot, and we anticipated their use in the energy absorption equipments for planetary exploration.

关键词: cat, biomechanics, landing, flexible back, energy absorption

Abstract:

Cats are characterized by their excellent landing ability. During the landing, they extend and bend their flexible backs. This study was undertaken to examine the effect of flexible back on impact attenuation. We collected kinematic and ground reaction force data from cats performing self-initiated jump down at different heights. Based on these measurements, the mechanical energy and elastic back energy were calculated. Further, we derived a beam model to predict back stiffness from the morphology of the vertebral spines. We found that cat could actively modulate the bending level of flexible back and the landing angle at different heights, making some kinetic energy be stored briefly as elastic strain energy in the back. This mechanism allows cat to reduce the kinetic energy dissipated by limbs and improve the efficiency of energy absorption. These results can provide bio-logical inspiration for the design of a flexible spine on a landing robot, and we anticipated their use in the energy absorption equipments for planetary exploration.

Key words: cat, biomechanics, landing, flexible back, energy absorption