This past Saturday, May 2nd, the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby took place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. In an improbable ending, Jockey Calvin Borel rode Mine That Bird - a 50-1 longshot - to a huge victory, coming from dead last to win by 6 3/4 lengths. The Kentucky Derby is often billed as "the most exciting two minutes in sports", and Borel and Mine That Bird did their best to live up to that standard.
The power and force exerted by these animals in those 2 minutes is amazing! A robotic hoof mechanism was shown at the derby. The image below shows the device clad with an aluminum shoe. The mechanism simulates the force, angle and impact of a racehorse hoof, and makes measurements to help detect trouble spots on tracks. Professor Mick Peterson demonstrated the machine while testing the racing surface at Churchill Downs on Saturday, April 25th, the week before the race.
The device used one of Crossbow's accelerometers to collect the data necessary to make these measurements. These accelerometers provide superior performance in small packages. With expertise in MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology, Crossbow accelerometers deliver reliable, cost-effective solutions across a wide range of applications. Several different accelerometers are offered, each optimized to meet customer needs in targeted fields.
Prof. Mick Peterson's research at University of Maine on Animal Biomechanics takes engineering technology and applies it to real life situations. Creating the robotic hoof allows owners the comfort of knowing that the track is safe for the horses to race on, offers them a playing field to encourage optimal performance and provides a fair and consistent racing surface to all riders. The device allows owners to understand the exercise impact of various tracks on the bone density of the horses, and the modeling done by the machine suggests that the device measures soil properties more than 1 foot beneath the track's surface. For more information on this research visit Professor Peterson's site here and for details on Crossbow's accelerometers, click here.
Congratulations to Kentucky Derby Winner Mine Than Bird and Borel for an amazing win!
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