... generate or dissipate energy based on the energetic requirements of the center of mass during non-steady-state locomotion. In order to examine contributions of the foot and its muscles to non-steady-state locomotion, we compared the energetics of the foot and ankle joint while jumping and landing before...

...Suzanne M. Cox; Gary B. Gillis ABSTRACT Controlled landing requires preparation. Mammals and bipedal birds vary how they prepare for landing by predicting the timing and magnitude of impact from the integration of visual and non-visual information. Here, we explore how the cane toad Rhinella marina...

...Laura J. Ekstrom; Gary B. Gillis ABSTRACT Coordinated landing requires preparation. Muscles in the limbs important for decelerating the body should be activated prior to impact so that joints may be stiffened and limbs stabilized during landing. Moreover, because landings vary in impact force...

...Emanuel Azizi; Neil P. Larson; Emily M. Abbott; Nicole Danos A controlled landing, where an animal does not crash or topple, requires enough stability to allow muscles to effectively dissipate mechanical energy. Toads ( Rhinella marina ) are exemplary models for understanding the mechanics...

...C. Evangelista; P. Kraft; M. Dacke; J. Reinhard; M. V. Srinivasan SUMMARY Although landing is a crucial part of insect flight, it has attracted relatively little study. Here, we investigate, for the first time, the final moments of a honeybee's ( Apis mellifera ) landing manoeuvre. Using high-speed...

... contacts during locust landing and locomotion. At substrate contact, proximal leg CS contribute to very rapid motor responses supporting the body. Delays between impact-like tension changes onto the tarsus and first afferent spikes in the proximal CS were measured in middle legs, excised carefully...

... the way in which they use perches as locomotory substrates. In both birds and primates, the magnitudes of landing forces are smaller than those during take-off. Two explanations have been proposed; the difference is either a consequence of perch compliance or it is a strategic decision to be cautious...

...Patrick R. Green; Peter Cheng ABSTRACT Pigeons made 10 flights to a novel perch. Kinematic measurements of these flights were obtained from video recordings, and the forces exerted on the perch on each landing were measured. There was wide variation (20-fold range) in the kinetic energy...

...Richard H. C. Bonser; Jeremy M. V. Rayner ABSTRACT We describe the design of a force-transducing perch which measures the reaction forces of small birds taking off and landing. In common starlings, landing forces are lower than take-off forces, because the bird may decelerate prior to landing...