Myological variation in the hindlimb of three raptorial birds in relation to foraging behavior

Raptors share a common predatory lifestyle,but are different in food preferences and hunting behavior.The grip force and talons’grasping capabilities are fundamentally crucial for subduing and killing their prey to feed,but the abilities and differences to generate force are less known.In this study,the entire pelvic muscles were dissected with the muscle mass and fibre length measured and physiological cross-sectional area counted in the Common Kestrel(Falco tinnunculus),Eurasian Sparrowhawk(Accipiter nisus),and Long-eared Owl(Asio otus).Statistical tests were performed to explore the possible differences in architectural parameters among species.These species were same in distributing the greatest proportion of muscle mass to the shank region and the digital flexor functional group,allocating more than 60%muscle mass in relation to total single leg muscle mass to the same seven individual muscles including flexor digitorum longus(FDL),flexor hallucis longus(FHL),and tibialis cranialis(TC)which are three major muscles responsible for talon closure.Interspecies differentiations were most present in the shank and tarsus instead of other regions of the leg,which might reflect their difference in hunting mode and foot use.Greater force-generation capacity of FHL and some anatomical features suggest that digits 1and 2 work together as an efficiently vise-like set,playing more critical role than digits 3–4 in foraging of diurnal raptors but to a different degree.In accordance with zygodactyl foot morphology,each digit of the Long-eared Owl plays a subequal role when hunting,evidenced by anatomical and architectural features.Because of its unique insertion to the base of the pygostyle,the striking numerical difference in the development of M.caudofemoralis was possibly related to raptors’flight behavior and feeding ecology.Concluded from anatomical and architectural aspects,the similarities and differences of the hindlimb musculature were correlated to common predatory lifestyle and different foraging behaviors in three raptor species.These results illustrated the underlying myological basis for the functional capacities of the leg muscles and may provide additional information useful in further biomechanical investigation and computer simulation.

Slipping detection and control in gripping fruits and vegetables for agricultural robot

The minimum gripping force applied is expected to prevent objects from mechanical damage when an agricultural robot is applied to handle and manipulate fruits and vegetables.In this research,a sensitive slipping sensor was developed with a piezo resistor to control the griping force of the agricultural robot.Firstly,an output of the slipping sensor was analyzed in a frequency domain by using a short time Fourier transform.Then rules for discriminating slipping signal from the output of a slipping sensor were proposed based on detail coefficients of discrete wavelet transform.Finally,a controller based on adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy inference system was developed to adjust the grasping force of the agricultural robot in real time.The detail coefficients and the normal gripping force were applied as input of the controller,and Fuzzy rules were simplified through subtractive clustering.With a two-finger end-effector of the agricultural robot,the experimental results showed that the slipping signal could be effectively extracted regardless of change in the normal gripping force,and the gripping force had been controlled successfully when grasping tomatoes and apples.This method was a promising way to optimize the gripping force of the agricultural robot grasping the fruits and vegetables.