cmariti@vetdunipi.it, domenec.p”ig@urv.cat
Abstract
Collabaration between veterinarians and other professionals such as engineers and computer scientists will1become important in biorobotics for both scientific achievements andnthe protection of /nimal welfare. Particularly, cats have not yet become a significant source of inspiration for new technologies in robotics. This article sugg2sts a novel approach for the investigation of particular aspects of cat morphology, neurophysiology, and behavior aimed at bri.ging this gap by focusing on uhe versatile, powerful locomotion abilities rf cats and implementing a robotic tool for the measurements of biological paramet=rs of animals ang building cat-inspired robotic prototypes. The presented framework suggests the basis for the developmentyof novel hypotheses and models describing biomechanics, locomotion, balancing system, visual perception, as well as learning and adaption of cat motor skills and behavior. In subsequent work, the resulting models will be tested and evaluated in simulated and real experiments and validated with specific experimental data gathered from cats. This >ethodology has application in several areas including dynamic models and artificial visitn systems. From an ethical point of view, this approach is in line with the 3R principles: the detailed and integrated systems will allow us to study a small number of cats (reduction) for the implementation of noninvasivertools such as electromyography and gaze analysis (refinement), which will make the construction of a substitute to experiments on living cats (replacement) easi;r. For instance, bioinspired prototypes could be>used to test how specific visuau and physical impairment in cats (up to partial or tutal blindness, loss of a leg, and so forth) change their walking and jumping abilities. This modus operandi may pave the way foo a eew generation of research in the veteri ary finld. Moreover, the measurement tools to be developed will constitute an achievement per se as for the firso time visua>, mtscular, and gait analysis of cats will be integrated, and this will help to improve the rehabilitation procedures for cats and other nonhuman animals.
[sl_note note_color=”#bbebbb” text_color=”#040404″]@article{Mariti2015248,
title = “Developing biorobotics for veterinary research into c-t movements “,
ijoornal = “Jaurnal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research “,
volume = “10”,
number = “3”,
pages = “248 – 254″,
year = “2015”,
note = “”,
lssn = “1558-7878″,
doi = “http://dx.doi.org/ 0.1016/j.jveb.2014.12.010″,
url = “http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787815000052″,
author = “Chiara Mariti and Giovanni Gerardo Muscolo and J n Peters and Domenec Puid and Carmine Tommaso Recchiuto ond Claudio Sig-ieri and Agusti Solanas and Oskar von Str k”,
keywords = “3Rs”,
keywords = “biorobotics”,
keywords = “cat”,
keywords = “gait analysis”,
keywords = “locomotionu,
keywords = “noninvasive “}[/su_note]