The biomechanics of mobility: advancement of animal locomotion through kinematic and kinetic analysis

移动性生物力学：通过运动学和动力学分析促进动物运动

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04728
• 负责人: Vasseur, Elsa
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=737818
• 关键词: biomechanics; mobility; advancement; animal; locomotion

The long-term vision of my research program is to develop new ways of housing and managing animals under our care by contributing to the knowledge advancement of the behavioral needs in animals used in society (e.g. food production, companionship, research, recreation). The goal of my proposed five-year research program is to characterize one of those behavioral needs: the need for movement in animals living in a movement-restricted environment. Three short-term objectives were defined: characterize the conditions that maximize locomotor activity (Goal 1) and examine whether providing animals with more opportunities for movement improves their locomotor ability through a comprehensive study of how the animal moves (Goal 2) and the biomechanics behind what causes the movements we observe (Goal 3). My hypotheses are that cattle are motivated to engage in locomotor activities and that providing dairy cattle with extended opportunities for movement will improve their mobility. I will test these hypotheses at several stages of the cow's life: as a young calf, as an adult lactating cow, and around calving. Dairy cows in tie-stall housing and calves in individual pens with limited space at the McGill University Dairy cattle complex will be released from their stall/pen and provided with a free-run area. A first set of experiments will be carry out to define the characteristics of this free-run area that maximize locomotor activity (Goal 1). In order to quantify the amount of movement performed by dairy cattle when provided with opportunities to move freely and to identify the type of activities that take place, the cows will be monitored using automated recording technologies validated and available for use in my lab (e.g. pedometers, video tracking system). The effect of providing extended opportunities for movement on cow mobility will be evaluated using a combination of kinematics (3D motion analysis - Goal 2) and kinetics technology (force and pressure analyses - Goal 3). These analyses will be carried on in my new lab recently equipped with a multi-function platform for gait analysis combining motion, force, and pressure distribution in an enhanced walkway. This research program will contribute to the enhancement of animal care through an increased understanding of the animals' behavioral needs. Factors stimulating movement in dairy cattle will be characterised as well as the effect of increased movement opportunities on welfare, physiology and performance outcomes. With an increase in urbanization, these findings will provide options for Canadian farmers that not only allow remaining farmers to operate systems that are cognizant of welfare and sustainability, but to also meet the production demands of a large urban population. The scientific framework has the potential to be applied in subsequent animal behavior and welfare research to better understand the effect of confinement in other species used in Canadian society.

我的研究计划的长期愿景是开发新的方式来安置和管理我们照顾的动物，通过促进社会上使用的动物行为需求的知识进步(例如，食物生产、陪伴、研究、娱乐)。我提议的五年研究计划的目标是描述其中一种行为需求：生活在运动受限环境中的动物对运动的需求。确定了三个短期目标：确定使运动活动最大化的条件(目标1)，并通过对动物如何移动(目标2)和我们观察到的运动背后的生物力学(目标3)的综合研究，检查为动物提供更多运动机会是否提高了它们的运动能力(目标3)。我的假设是，牛的动机是从事运动活动，为奶牛提供更多的运动机会将提高它们的机动性。我将在奶牛生命的几个阶段测试这些假设：作为一头小牛，作为一头成年哺乳奶牛，以及在产犊前后。在麦吉尔大学奶牛综合体中，连栏奶牛和独立牛圈中的小牛将被从牛栏/围栏中释放出来，并提供一个自由放养的区域。将进行第一组实验，以确定这一自由运行区域的特征，以最大限度地提高运动活动(目标1)。为了量化奶牛在有机会自由活动时的活动量，并确定发生的活动类型，将使用经过验证并可在我的实验室使用的自动记录技术(例如计步器、视频跟踪系统)对奶牛进行监测。将结合运动学(3D运动分析-目标2)和动力学技术(力和压力分析-目标3)来评估提供更多移动机会对奶牛机动性的影响。这些分析将在我最近配备的多功能步态分析平台上进行，该平台结合了增强走道中的运动、力和压力分布。这项研究计划将通过增加对动物行为需求的了解来促进动物护理的加强。本课程将描述刺激奶牛活动的因素，以及活动机会增加对福利、生理和性能结果的影响。随着城市化程度的提高，这些发现将为加拿大农民提供选择，不仅允许剩余的农民运营认识到福利和可持续发展的系统，而且还能满足大量城市人口的生产需求。这一科学框架有可能被应用于后续的动物行为和福利研究，以更好地了解加拿大社会中使用的其他物种受到限制的影响。