title: Modeling avian kinematics using software developed for the human musculoskeletal system.
abstract: Using an interactive computer graphic system developed for the simulation of human musculoskeletal kinematics and detailed Computerized Tomography (CT) imaging of the domestic turkey, a kinematic structure of the avian trunk and wings is defined. The result is a simulation that provides interactive study of avian muscle-tendon joint kinematics, the ability to elucidate the essential components of bird flight and visual verification of heuristic muscle-tendon-joint models through real-time, 3D interaction. This application demonstrates the flexibility and applicability of this simulation software to define the kinematic structure of any animal or robotic mechanism given a segmented, 3D skeletal structure and to define the necessary and sufficient joints (linked revolutes and degrees-of-freedom) and muscle-tendon paths for that animal. The result is an interactive, real-time, 3D, kinematic model providing immediate understanding of muscle-tendon-joint function specific to that animal.
authors.affiliation: Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. wbuford@utmb.edu
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Buford
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hollister
authors.forename: Clark R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007596:Joints / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D012984:Software; D013045:Species Specificity; D013710:Tendons / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014422:Turkeys / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*