Morphological handicaps and gait adaptation (LocoMorph)

In the framework of an international collaboration “LocoMorph” (EU project, 7th Framework Programme), we aim to understand animal morphology and morphosis. The first means that we want to understand the influence of morphology on locomotion, and examine how various morphologies (four-footed, two-footed, with or without tails, etc.) interact with the environment (e.g. substrate) (Karakasiliotis et al, 2012). Morphosis refers to the change of morphology and how these changes are dealt with. Those changes may be unintended (e.g. an injury) or wanted (e.g. the move from quadruped to upright posture). Moreover, animals may change gait as a response to different substrates. Animals are much better than robots in terms of morphology and morphosis, but precisely how this happens (at the level of adjustment to control movement and coordination) is largely unknown because locomotion research has usually focused on "simple" locomotion types (healthy animals, stepping straight at a constant speed). Our share of the project is to study why animals are so well able to adapt to changes in their "morphology" (e.g. animals with one or even two legs). Time line 2010-2013 Funding: CRC | EU 7th Framework Programme