Meeting Abstract
Arboreal frogs navigate complex environments and face various changes in the mechanical properties of the physical environment. These changes in substrate compliance and elasticity can impose challenges when jumping off structures like leaves or small branches. An optimal well-coordinated jump might allow for the recovery of elastic energy stored in the substrate and potentially amplify mechanical power by effectively adding an in series spring to the hindlimbs. However, in a poorly coordinated jump the energy applied to the substrate is not recovered. We aim to understand whether jumping organisms modulate their hindlimb kinematics to maximize energy recovery from an elastic substrate. We have designed a software-controlled jumping platform equipped with a real-time feedback controller that allows us to modulate the properties of the substrate. We quantify the kinetics and kinematics of Cuban tree frogs jumping off platforms with varying mechanical properties. We find that animals can recover some of the energy stored in the substrate but do so with little kinematic modulation when faced with substrates of varying properties. This result highlights a potential trade-off between jumping performance (e.g. power, acceleration) and responsiveness in animals that rely on elastic mechanisms to amplify power. This work will serve to broaden our understanding of how animals sense and respond to complex environments with varied mechanical properties.
