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

作　　者：Zhiqiang Zhang Jialing Yang Hui Yu 

机构地区：[1]Institute of Solid Mechanics, Beo'ing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing 100191, P. R. China

出　　处：《Journal of Bionic Engineering》2014年第4期506-516,共11页仿生工程学报（英文版）

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.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 

分 类 号：O31[理学—一般力学与力学基础] Q66[理学—力学]