Mechanical buffering characteristics of feline paw pads.
- Author:
Xiaopeng ZHANG
1
;
Jialing YANG
;
Hui YU
Author Information
1. Institute of Solid Mechanics, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Adaptation, Physiological;
Animals;
Biomechanical Phenomena;
Felidae;
anatomy & histology;
physiology;
Foot;
anatomy & histology;
physiology;
Models, Theoretical
- From:
Journal of Biomedical Engineering
2012;29(6):1098-1104
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
In the long time of natural evolution, the bodies of some animals, such as feline, that live in the wild and complicate surroundings have evolved to possess outstanding buffering characteristics, which make the animals adapt to the environment perfectly. These animals generally have well-developed paw pads under their soles to play an important role in attenuating the intensity of impact when they land on the ground. Investigating the buffering characteristics of these animals' paw pads could help us to design "bionic" buffering and energy-absorption devices. In this paper, based on observations of animal jumping test, a simple mass-spring-buffer model was proposed to explore the buffering characteristics of the animals' paw pads. By analytically solving the differential equations of this model, the parameters concerned with paw pads functions were discussed and some significant results were obtained.
