Immobilisation of a Large Animal for Imaging Purposes

The mobility of a horse in the standing position with its hooves fixed to the ground is investigated to assist designing a minimally obstructing system for restraining large animals. The horse is modelled as a mechanical linkage driven by muscle forces. The linkage's configuration patterns, act...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: W. Szyszkowski, Wei Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2010-01-01
Series:Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11762320902867818
Description
Summary:The mobility of a horse in the standing position with its hooves fixed to the ground is investigated to assist designing a minimally obstructing system for restraining large animals. The horse is modelled as a mechanical linkage driven by muscle forces. The linkage's configuration patterns, active joints and the forces associated with motion initiation are studied by reducing it to a mechanism with a low number of degrees of freedom. A restraint system blocking the motion of active joints with ropes is proposed as an alternative to massive mechanical devices restraining the whole body. The system has been verified experimentally on a sheep.
ISSN:1176-2322
1754-2103