.... A helical winding of stiff, elastic fibers around these soft actuators plays a critical role in their mechanics by maintaining a cylindrical shape, distributing forces throughout the structure and storing elastic energy. In contrast to a single-joint lever system, soft hydrostats exhibit variable gearing...

... the ‘SSC effect’ ( Bosco et al., 1982 ; Bosco and Rusko, 1983 ; Komi, 2000 ). The SSC effect has been speculated to be caused by enhanced muscle activation ( Dietz et al., 1979 ; Nichols and Houk, 1973 ), elastic energy utilization ( Finni et al., 2001 ; Kawakami et al., 2002 ), optimal pre-activation...

... the spines of P. volitans to determine mechanical properties (Young's modulus, elastic energy storage and flexural stiffness). The short and recurved anal and pelvic spines are stiffer and resist bending more effectively than the long dorsal spines. In addition, mechanical properties differ along the length...

... and muscle and tendon excursions were derived using a combination of 3D-motion capture and ultrasonography. Optimum hopping frequency was determined as the frequency that maximized surrogate measures of elastic energy storage potential of the tendon and minimized muscle excursion. Adults presented...

... elastic energy during muscle contraction. The potential contribution of these elements can be assessed from their stiffness and estimates of the strain they undergo during muscle function. Such calculations provide boundaries for the possible roles these springs might play in locomotion, and may help...

... for intermediate inertial-gravitational loads and can be enhanced by a trigger and catch mechanism for small loads. Muscle–tendon system Elastic energy Power amplification Catch mechanism Acceleration Jumping The mechanical output of skeletal muscle is bound by an intrinsic power limit, defined...

...Evie E. Vereecke; Anthony J. Channon SUMMARY Tendon properties have an important effect on the mechanical behaviour of muscles, with compliant tendons allowing near-isometric muscle contraction and facilitating elastic energy storage and recoil. Stiff tendons, in contrast, facilitate rapid force...

...Kristine L. Snyder; Claire T. Farley SUMMARY At a given running speed, humans strongly prefer to use a stride frequency near their ‘optimal’ stride frequency that minimizes metabolic cost. Although there is no definitive explanation for why an optimal stride frequency exists, elastic energy usage...

...A. A. Biewener; C. McGowan; G. M. Card; R. V. Baudinette SUMMARY The goal of our study was to examine whether the in vivo force-length behavior, work and elastic energy savings of distal muscle-tendon units in the legs of tammar wallabies ( Macropus eugenii ) change during level versus incline...

... . 143 , 559 – 566 . 10.1242/jeb.143.1.559 Woledge , R. C. , Curtin , N. A. and Homsher , E. ( 1985 ). Energetic Aspects of Muscle Contraction . London : Academic Press . muscle contraction energetics work elastic energy series elasticity dogfish Scyliorhinus...

...Andrew A. Biewener; David D. Konieczynski; Russell V. Baudinette ABSTRACT Moderate to large macropodids can increase their speed while hopping with little or no increase in energy expenditure. This has been interpreted by some workers as resulting from elastic energy savings in their hindlimb...

... capacity to help control the body’s locomotor reconfigurations, to store elastic energy and to dampen oscillations. The stiffness, k , and damping coefficient, c , determine the phase lag, δ, in the following manner ( Denny, 1988 ): tanδ, in turn, determines the resilience, R...

...Andrew A. Biewener; Russell V. Baudinette ABSTRACT In order to evaluate the role of elastic energy recovery in the hopping of macropodids, in vivo measurements of muscle–tendon forces using buckle force transducers attached to the tendons of the gastrocnemius (G), plantaris (PL) and flexor...

...Claire T. Farley; James Glasheen; Thomas A. Mcmahon ABSTRACT Trotting and hopping animals use muscles, tendons and ligaments to store and return elastic energy as they bounce along the ground. We examine how the musculoskeletal spring system operates at different speeds and in animals of different...