Neuromuscular and Kinematic Mechanisms of Avian Maneuvering Flight

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This project seeks to investigate the neuromuscular control of maneuvering flight in relation to wing and body movements and aerodynamic forces during turning in two bird species (pigeons and cockatiels). Understanding how birds control turning maneuvers will help to reveal how birds achieve stable movement, yet at the same time are highly maneuverable, compared to human-engineered fixed-wing aircraft. The project will therefore have broader relevance to the development of micro-air vehicles offering unmanned flight capability for surveillance and remote monitoring. The project also has relevance for understanding a critical component of a bird's flight ecology critical to their success. Past work has largely examined level flight at constant speeds, but little is known about other aspects of flight (ascent, descent, turning, take-off and landing). New techniques now enable direct measures of neuromuscular activity over a broader range of flight performance. These physiological and biomechanical techniques will measure muscle activity and length, synchronized with high-speed video recordings of body and wing movements. The project will have broad educational impact for students, as well as the public. Bird flight has captivated man for much of recorded history, motivating myths and inspiring the aeronautical engineering behind aircraft design. High-speed videos of bird maneuvering flight will have intrinsic appeal for revealing the complex and coordinated pattern of movement to the general public and students of all ages. The investigative team has worked with television studios (Discovery Channel, PBS) to bring the appeal and inspiration of biological flight to a broader audience. The investigative team also regularly hosts visits with school groups to observe its research on bird flight. The research will enhance the training of a PhD scientist and offer involvement of undergraduate and high school students who conduct research in the investigator's lab.