Locomotion
Understanding the forces that animals or humans generate when they contact with their environment can help us address questions of how organisms are designed and, at a more applied level, allow us to measure performance as a predictor of health and welfare.
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Lameness in farmed animals is an important welfare problem as it is often indicative of discomfort. Most approaches to assessing whether animals are lame have concentrated on subjective 'gait scores' which have been shown to have poor inter-observer reliability. Our approach to this area has been to develop, simple, non-invasive methods to assess whether footfall forces as animals walk can be used to identify the onset of lameness automatically. We developed one such system for poultry and trials are currently underway to evaluate a larger scale system for cattle. |
Take-off flight in birds is not just aerodynamics. Birds initially propel themselves by using leg thrust. We developed instrumented perches that enabled the leg thrust forces generated by small birds during both take-off and landing to be measured.
| Locomotory biomechanics is important too for humans to assess rehabilitation
after injury and also performance of elite athletes. we are currently
collaborating with sports governing bodies in the UK to develop objective
methods for assessing athletic performance as a training tool.
We are helping to develop training tools for athletes in 'sliding sports'. |
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Key Publications
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Prescott, N.B. & Bonser, R.H.C. (2004) Beak trimming reduces feeding efficiency by hens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 13: 468-471.
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Bonser, R.H.C. Farrent, J.W. & Taylor, A.M. (2003) A novel method of measuring friction and wear of biological materials. Biosystems Engineering 86: 253-256.
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Bonser, R.H.C. (1999) Branching out in locomotion: The mechanics of perch use in birds and primates. Journal of Experimental Biology 202: 1459-1463.
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Bonser, R.H.C., Norman, A.P. & Rayner, J.M.V. (1999) Does perch diameter influence take-off decisions in Common Starlings? Functional Ecology 13: 102-105.
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Bonser, R.H.C. & Rayner, J.M.V. (1996) Measuring leg thrust forces in the Common Starling. Journal of Experimental Biology 199: 435-439.
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Witter, M.S., Cuthill, I.C. & Bonser, R.H.C. (1994) Experimental investigation of mass-dependent predation risk in the European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris. Animal Behaviour 48:201-222.