Advancing three-dimensional biomechanical research by combining synchronized biplanar X-ray videos with multiview light videos.

Quantifying how animals move is an essential first step in studies aiming at understanding the form, function, and evolution of musculoskeletal systems. During the last decade, making use of X-ray videos recorded at high speed (> 500 frames per second) from two x-ray sources and detectors has proven to be a powerful tool to accurately analyze fast, three-dimensional movements. A cutting-edge, high-speed, biplanar X-ray video system has recently became available at the University of Antwerp, which will significantly advance functional morphological and biomechanical research in Flanders. However, quite often information on the movement of the external surfaces of the animals or their surrounding fluids is extremely valuable but cannot be measured by X-ray videos alone. The proposed research will integrate traditional (i.e., visible and infra-red sensitive) high-speed videography from two views into the three-dimensional analysis of kinematics with the existing biplanar X-ray video set-up. This will significantly advance the two ongoing projects: kinematics and hydrodynamics of feeding in fishes, and the early development of locomotion in pigs. In addition, this integration of X-ray and light videos will also be highly beneficial for the numerous collaborative research projects requiring X-ray videos that are planned in the upcoming years.

Keywords:KINEMATIC ANALYSIS, BIOMECHANICS, MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEMS

Disciplines:Animal morphology, anatomy and physiology