D4 Accelerometry

Title

D4 describes the use of miniaturized triaxial accelerometersmounted on the back or tail of the birdto reconstruct the kinematics of whisking without the need for direct visual observation or the laboratory. It is the standard method for studying E7 under natural conditions. The dorsoventral axis of the accelerometer records body acceleration during each shake cycle; Its Fourier transform provides the beat frequency f with high precision, and the signal amplitude allows the beat angle to be estimated. The Strouhal number calculated from these data is the functional diagnosis of the propulsive efficiency. D4 is sensitive to two different anomalies: in A4 (muscle damage), f and fall and St leaves the optimal range; in A8 (neuromuscular disturbance), asymmetry appears in the half-cycle times. Automatic flight mode classification (E15) by accelerometric signal thresholds is a direct application of this method.

ID:4224