Meeting Abstract

70.5  Wednesday, Jan. 6  Detailed 3D Wing Kinematics during Low Speed Maneuvering in the Pigeon Columba livia. ROS, I.G.*; BIEWENER, A.A.; Harvard U.; Harvard U. ivo.ros@gmail.com

High power and precise control are two critical aspects of low speed maneuvering flight. Insight into the control of flight maneuvers requires understanding the mechanics and aerodynamics involved, which to date, has received little attention compared with steady forward flight and has not been based on high-resolution 3D kinematic analysis. To expand on the current understanding that redirection of the net aerodynamic force occurs as a consequence of bilateral asymmetries in both downstroke velocity and angular momentum of the two wings, detailed wing kinematics during 90 degree-level turns in rock pigeons were analyzed based on multiple camera views at 500 Hz. Four individuals were trained to perform the turning maneuver in a stereotypical fashion. In support of previous studies, peaks of roll and pitch accelerations occur early and late in the downstroke, whereas yaw torques are generated late in the upstroke and during the latter half of the down stroke. Timing asymmetries between the inside and outside wing beat cycles do not predict body torques. Roll accelerations into the turn correlate with a more vertical downstroke of the outside wing, while the inside wing is depressed along a more caudally swept trajectory. Surprisingly, the inside wing is extended roughly 10% more than the outside wing throughout downstrokes that roll the pigeon into the turn. The slight, but consistent baseline kinematic asymmetries will require stereotypical comparisons of a given wing acting as the inside versus outside wing to dissect the underlying neuromuscular mechanisms that produce those asymmetries. NSF IOS-0744056