Modeling Avian Kinematics using Software Developed for the Human Musculoskeletal System

Using an interactive computer graphic system developed for the simulation of human musculoskeletal kinematics and detailed computerized tomography (CT) imaging of the domestic turkey, a kinematic structure of the avian trunk and wings is defined. The result is a simulation that provides interactive study of avian muscle-tendon joint kinematics, the ability to elucidate the essential components of bird flight and visual verification of heuristic muscle-tendon-joint models through real-time, 3D interaction. This application demonstrates the flexibility and applicability of this simulation software to define the kinematic structure of any animal or robotic mechanism given a segmented, 3D skeletal structure and to define the necessary and sufficient joints (linked revolutes and degrees-of-freedom) and muscle-tendon paths for that animal. The result is an interactive, real-time, 3D, kinematic model providing immediate understanding of muscle-tendon-joint function specific to that animal.