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WHAT LIMITS ACCELERATION?
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Williams, S. B., Usherwood, J. R., Tan, H., & Wilson, A. M. WHAT LIMITS ACCELERATION?

Compass gait mechanics account for top walking speeds in ducks and humans
Journal Article
Usherwood, J. R., Szymanek, K. L., & Daley, M. A. Compass gait mechanics account for top walking speeds in ducks and humans. Journal of Experimental Biology, 211(23), 3744-3749. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.023416

The constraints to maximum walking speed and the underlying cause of the walk-run transition remains controversial. However, the motions of the body and legs can be reduced to a few mechanical principles, which, if valid, impose simple physics-based... Read More about Compass gait mechanics account for top walking speeds in ducks and humans.

Phasing of dragonfly wings can improve aerodynamic efficiency by removing swirl
Journal Article
Usherwood, J. R., & Lehmann, F. O. Phasing of dragonfly wings can improve aerodynamic efficiency by removing swirl. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2008.0124

Dragonflies are dramatic, successful aerial predators, notable for their flight agility and endurance. Further, they are highly capable of low-speed, hovering and even backwards flight. While insects have repeatedly modified or reduced one pair of wi... Read More about Phasing of dragonfly wings can improve aerodynamic efficiency by removing swirl.

Collared doves Streptolelia decaocto display with high, near-maximal muscle powers, but at low energetic cost
Journal Article
Usherwood, J. R. Collared doves Streptolelia decaocto display with high, near-maximal muscle powers, but at low energetic cost. Journal of Avian Biology, 39(1), 19-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2007.0908-8857.04347.x

Display flight in collared doves Streptopelia decaocto consists of a rapid ascent from a perch, followed by a glide back to the same or near-by perch. The hypothesis that ascending flight presents an honest signal of the maximum power generating capa... Read More about Collared doves Streptolelia decaocto display with high, near-maximal muscle powers, but at low energetic cost.

An instrumented centrifuge for studying mouse locomotion and behaviour under hypergravity
Journal Article
Smith, B. J. H., & Usherwood, J. R. (in press). An instrumented centrifuge for studying mouse locomotion and behaviour under hypergravity. Biology Open, 8, https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.043018

Gravity may influence multiple aspects of legged locomotion, from the periods of limbs moving as pendulums to the muscle forces required to support the body. We present a system for exposing mice to hypergravity using a centrifuge and studying their... Read More about An instrumented centrifuge for studying mouse locomotion and behaviour under hypergravity.