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An Overview on Principles for Energy Efficient Robot Locomotion (2018)
Journal Article
Kashiri, N., Abate, A., Abram, S. J., Albu-Schaffer, A., Clary, P. J., Daley, M. A., …Tsagarakis, N. (2018). An Overview on Principles for Energy Efficient Robot Locomotion. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 5(129), https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2018.00129

Despite enhancements in the development of robotic systems, the energy economy of today's robots lags far behind that of biological systems. This is in particular critical for untethered legged robot locomotion. To elucidate the current stage of ener... Read More about An Overview on Principles for Energy Efficient Robot Locomotion.

Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part I—an examination of cancellous bone architecture in the hindlimb bones of theropods (2018)
Journal Article
Bishop, P. J., Hocknull, S. A., Clemente, C. J., Hutchinson, J. R., Farke, A. A., Beck, B. R., …Lloyd, D. G. (2018). Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part I—an examination of cancellous bone architecture in the hindlimb bones of theropods. PeerJ, 6, e5778. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5778

This paper is the first of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous (‘spongy’) bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extin... Read More about Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part I—an examination of cancellous bone architecture in the hindlimb bones of theropods.

Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part III—Inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct theropods, and its evolution on the line to birds (2018)
Journal Article
Bishop, P. J., Hocknull, S. A., Clemente, C. J., Hutchinson, J. R., Farke, A. A., Beck, B. R., …Lloyd, D. G. (2018). Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part III—Inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct theropods, and its evolution on the line to birds. PeerJ, 6, e5777. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5777

This paper is the last of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avian... Read More about Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part III—Inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct theropods, and its evolution on the line to birds.

Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part II—a new approach to inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates (2018)
Journal Article
Bishop, P. J., Hocknull, S. A., Clemente, C. J., Hutchinson, J. R., Barrett, R. S., & Lloyd, D. G. (2018). Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part II—a new approach to inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates. PeerJ, 6, e5779. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5779

This paper is the second of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avi... Read More about Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part II—a new approach to inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates.

Remarkable muscles, remarkable locomotion in desert-dwelling wildebeest (2018)
Journal Article
Curtin, N. A., Bartlam-Brooks, H. L. A., Hubel, T. Y., Lowe, J. C., Gardner-Medwin, A. R., Bennitt, M., …Wilson, A. M. (2018). Remarkable muscles, remarkable locomotion in desert-dwelling wildebeest. Nature, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0602-4

Large mammals that live in arid and/or desert environments can cope with seasonal and local variations in rainfall, food and climate1 by moving long distances, often without reliable water or food en route. The capacity of an animal for this long-dis... Read More about Remarkable muscles, remarkable locomotion in desert-dwelling wildebeest.

Building a Bird: Musculoskeletal Modeling and Simulation of Wing-Assisted Incline Running during Avian Ontogeny (2018)
Journal Article
Heers, A. M., Rankin, J. W., & Hutchinson, J. R. (2018). Building a Bird: Musculoskeletal Modeling and Simulation of Wing-Assisted Incline Running during Avian Ontogeny. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 6(140), https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2018.00140

Flapping flight is the most power-demanding mode of locomotion, associated with a suite of anatomical specializations in extant adult birds. In contrast, many developing birds use their forelimbs to negotiate environments long before acquiring “fligh... Read More about Building a Bird: Musculoskeletal Modeling and Simulation of Wing-Assisted Incline Running during Avian Ontogeny.

"Of Mice and Measures": A Project to Improve How We Advance Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Therapies to the Clinic (2018)
Journal Article
Gordish-Dressman, H., Willmann, R., Dalle Pazze, L., Kreibich, A., van Putten, M., Heydemann, A., …Aartsma-Rus, A. (2018). "Of Mice and Measures": A Project to Improve How We Advance Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Therapies to the Clinic. Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases, 5(4), 407-414. https://doi.org/10.3233/JND-180324

A new line of dystrophic mdx mice on the DBA/2J (D2) background has emerged as a candidate to study the efficacy of therapeutic approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). These mice harbor genetic polymorphisms that appear to increase the seve... Read More about "Of Mice and Measures": A Project to Improve How We Advance Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Therapies to the Clinic.

Integrating morphology and in vivo skeletal mobility with digital models to infer function in brittle star arms (2018)
Journal Article
Clark, E. G., Hutchinson, J. R., Darroch, S. A. F., Mongiardino Koch, N., Bady, T. R., Smith, S. A., & Briggs, D. E. G. (2018). Integrating morphology and in vivo skeletal mobility with digital models to infer function in brittle star arms. Journal of Anatomy, 233(6), 696-714. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12887

Brittle stars (Phylum Echinodermata, Class Ophiuroidea) have evolved rapid locomotion employing muscle and skeletal elements within their (usually) five arms to apply forces in a manner analogous to that of vertebrates. Inferring the inner workings o... Read More about Integrating morphology and in vivo skeletal mobility with digital models to infer function in brittle star arms.

Gene editing restores dystrophin expression in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (2018)
Journal Article
Amoasii, L., Hildyard, J. C. W., Li, H., Sanchez-Ortiz, E., Mireault, A., Caballero, D., …Olson, E. N. (2018). Gene editing restores dystrophin expression in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Science, 362(6410), 86-91. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau1549

Mutations in the gene encoding dystrophin, a protein that maintains muscle integrity and function, cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The deltaE50-MD dog model of DMD harbors a mutation corresponding to a mutational “hotspot” in the human DMD g... Read More about Gene editing restores dystrophin expression in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Simulation of muscle-powered jumping with hardware-in-the-loop ground interaction (2018)
Journal Article
Eberhard, E. A., & Richards, C. T. (2018). Simulation of muscle-powered jumping with hardware-in-the-loop ground interaction. https://doi.org/10.1109/AIM.2018.8452298

We developed a novel reverse haptic interface to augment forward dynamic simulations with real-world contact forces. In contrast with traditional haptics, in which a realworld user drives an interaction with a simulated environment, reverse haptics a... Read More about Simulation of muscle-powered jumping with hardware-in-the-loop ground interaction.

The scaling or ontogeny of human gait kinetics and walk-run transition: The implications of work vs. peak power minimization (2018)
Journal Article
Usherwood, J. R., Hubel, T. Y., Smith, B. J. H., Self Davies, Z. T., & Sobota, G. (2018). The scaling or ontogeny of human gait kinetics and walk-run transition: The implications of work vs. peak power minimization. Journal of Biomechanics, 81, 12-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.09.004

A simple model is developed to find vertical force profiles and stance durations that minimize either limb mechanical work or peak power demands during bipedal locomotion. The model predicts that work minimization is achieved with a symmetrical verti... Read More about The scaling or ontogeny of human gait kinetics and walk-run transition: The implications of work vs. peak power minimization.

The dynamic role of the ilio-sacral joint in jumping frogs (2018)
Journal Article
Richards, C. T., Eberhard, E. A., & Collings, A. J. (2018). The dynamic role of the ilio-sacral joint in jumping frogs. Biology Letters, 14(9), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0367

A striking feature among jumping frogs is a sharp pelvic bend about the ilio-sacral (IS) joint, unique to anurans. Although this sagittal plane hinge has been interpreted as crucial for the evolution of jumping, its mechanical contribution has not be... Read More about The dynamic role of the ilio-sacral joint in jumping frogs.

Insect and insect-inspired aerodynamics: unsteadiness, structural mechanics and flight control (2018)
Journal Article
Bomphrey, R. J., & Godoy-Diana, R. (2018). Insect and insect-inspired aerodynamics: unsteadiness, structural mechanics and flight control. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 30, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2018.08.003

Flying insects impress by their versatility and have been a recurrent source of inspiration for engineering devices. A large body of literature has focused on various aspects of insect flight, with an essential part dedicated to the dynamics of flapp... Read More about Insect and insect-inspired aerodynamics: unsteadiness, structural mechanics and flight control.

Uncovering the structure of the mouse gait controller: mice respond to substrate perturbations with adaptations in gait on a continuum between trot and bound (2018)
Journal Article
Vahedipour, A., Haji Maghsoudi, O., Wilshin, S., Shamble, P., Robertson, B., & Spence, A. (2018). Uncovering the structure of the mouse gait controller: mice respond to substrate perturbations with adaptations in gait on a continuum between trot and bound. Journal of Biomechanics, 78(10), 77-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.07.020

A novel kinematics analysis method using quaternion interpolation – a case study in frog jumping (2018)
Journal Article
Richards, C. T., & Porro, L. B. (2018). A novel kinematics analysis method using quaternion interpolation – a case study in frog jumping. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 454, 410-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.06.010

Spherical Linear Interpolation (SLERP) has long been used in computer animation to interpolate movements between two 3D orientations. We developed a forward kinematics (FK) approach using quaternions and SLERP to predict how frogs modulate jump kinem... Read More about A novel kinematics analysis method using quaternion interpolation – a case study in frog jumping.

Understanding the agility of running birds: Sensorimotor and mechanical factors in avian bipedal locomotion (2018)
Journal Article
Daley, M. A. (2018). Understanding the agility of running birds: Sensorimotor and mechanical factors in avian bipedal locomotion. Integrative and Comparative Biology, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icy058

Birds are a diverse and agile lineage of vertebrates that all use bipedal locomotion for at least part of their life. Thus birds provide a valuable opportunity to investigate how biomechanics and sensorimotor control are integrated for agile bipedal... Read More about Understanding the agility of running birds: Sensorimotor and mechanical factors in avian bipedal locomotion.

Regional diversity in the murine cortical vascular network is revealed by synchrotron X-ray tomography and is amplified with age (2018)
Journal Article
Núñez, J. A., Goring, A., Javaheri, B., Razi, H., Gomez-Nicola, D., Pitsillides, A. A., …Clarkin, C. E. (2018). Regional diversity in the murine cortical vascular network is revealed by synchrotron X-ray tomography and is amplified with age. https://doi.org/10.22203/eCM.v035a20

Cortical bone is permeated by a system of pores, occupied by the blood supply and osteocytes. With ageing, bone mass reduction and disruption of the microstructure are associated with reduced vascular supply. Insight into the regulation of the blood... Read More about Regional diversity in the murine cortical vascular network is revealed by synchrotron X-ray tomography and is amplified with age.

Scaling of avian bipedal locomotion reveals independent effects of body mass and leg posture on gait (2018)
Journal Article
Daley, M. A., & Birn-Jeffery, A. V. (2018). Scaling of avian bipedal locomotion reveals independent effects of body mass and leg posture on gait. Journal of Experimental Biology, 221, https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.152538

Birds provide an interesting opportunity to study the relationships between body size, limb morphology and bipedal locomotor function. Birds are ecologically diverse and span a large range of body size and limb proportions, yet all use their hindlimb... Read More about Scaling of avian bipedal locomotion reveals independent effects of body mass and leg posture on gait.