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For our research into legged systems, we aim to discover how the neural, muscular, and skeletal components of an organism work together to produce locomotion. This research is of fundamental importance in medicine (how can we rehabilitate stroke patients, patients with neurological disease, or amputees?), veterinary science (how do we treat lameness, and create safe environments for animals?), engineering (how do we build more agile robots?), and basic biology (how has evolution shaped animal movement?). We take an integrative approach that fuses experiments, novel microinstrumentation, and mathematical and physical (robot) models. Much of our past work in legged systems focused on how many-legged (>2) animals handle different surfaces.
A second major thread of research has focused on the biomechanics and evolution of gliding. This has been a long term collaboration with Dr. Greg Byrnes.
Recently, we have a new focus on gaits. In dogs, horses and spiders we are developing tools to quantify gaits, and how animals choose gaits. With these new tools, we have found that gait transitions are remarkably stereotyped. Formulating a dynamical systems model of quadrupedal gait, we found that dogs walking outside on natural rough terrain adjust their gait towards the idealized