Neuromuscular and Kinematic Mechanisms of Avian Maneuvering Flight

本项目旨在研究两种鸟类(鸽子和凤头鹦鹉)在转弯过程中，机动性飞行的神经肌肉控制与翅膀和身体运动以及空气动力力的关系。与人类设计的固定翼飞机相比，了解鸟类如何控制转弯动作将有助于揭示鸟类如何实现稳定的运动，同时具有高度的机动性。因此，该项目将与微型飞行器的开发具有更广泛的相关性，微型飞行器提供监视和远程监测的无人飞行能力。该项目对于了解鸟类飞行生态中对它们的成功至关重要的一个关键组成部分也具有相关性。过去的工作主要研究了恒定速度下的水平飞行，但对飞行的其他方面(上升、下降、转弯、起飞和着陆)知之甚少。新技术现在可以在更广泛的飞行表现范围内直接测量神经肌肉活动。这些生理和生物力学技术将测量肌肉的活动和长度，并与身体和翅膀运动的高速视频记录同步。该项目将对学生和公众产生广泛的教育影响。在有记录的历史中，鸟类飞行在很大程度上吸引了人类，激发了神话，激发了飞机设计背后的航空工程。鸟类机动飞行的高速视频将对普通公众和各个年龄段的学生揭示复杂而协调的运动模式具有内在的吸引力。调查小组与电视制片厂(探索频道，PBS)合作，将生物飞行的吸引力和灵感带给更广泛的观众。调查组还定期与学校团体进行访问，以观察其对鸟类飞行的研究。这项研究将加强对博士科学家的培训，并让在研究员实验室进行研究的本科生和高中生参与进来。

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.