Project Overview

The purpose of this project is to design a system that will measure the transmission of vibrations through a horse’s leg. This testing device will provide researchers with a way to determine if certain horseshoe types affect the strength of vibrations through the joints in horses, which could aid in preventing osteoarthritis. This project is a continuation of the previous two group’s work, which involved building the frame and figuring out how to clamp the leg in place. The goal of the project is to send vibrations through a horse’s leg and use sensors to measure the vibrations at different points along the leg. The solution is to use a triple-axis accelerometer that is glued to a metal plate and screwed directly into the bone to read the transmission of vibrations at each joint of the horse leg. This design project utilizes a function generator, amplifier, and voice coil to send vibrations through the horse bone. The testing of the system involves the vibration plate sending vibrations through the leg which are measured through two major joints, the pastern and fetlock joints. To measure the vibrations through the joints, four triple-axis accelerometers are screwed into the bone, one above and one below each of the joints. The data from the sensors around the pastern are compared to the data gathered from the sensors above and below the fetlock joint to determine how far up the leg the vibrations from the voice coil travel. Testing was completed with the help of Dr. Janes of the Veterinary Diagnostics Lab on April 19th, 2021. Overall testing was successful with the accelerometers gathering data while the horse leg was vibrating. Some simple data analysis was done on the acquired data which revealed that the system was working as intended. During testing there were some unexpected problems that arose which will need to be addressed during future work with this project.

Problem statement:

The mission is to create a system that will test the proposed theory that horseshoe designs can be used to reduce osteoarthritis. There is limited research on this topic; therefore, gaining a better understanding of the impact of horseshoes on medical conditions could provide a basis for future research. Our solution is to design a system that will measure the transmission of vibrations through a horse’s leg.