Abstract

In recent years, experimental data on natural, un-restrained locomotion of animals has strongly increased in complexity and quantity. This is due to novel motion-capture techniques, but also to the combination of several methods such as electromyography or force measurements. Since much of these data are of great value for the development, modeling and benchmarking of technical locomotion systems, suitable data management, documentation and visualization are essential. Here, we use an example of comparative kinematics of climbing insects to propose a data format that is equally suitable for scientific analysis and sharing through web repositories. Two data models are used: a relational model (SQL) for efficient data management and mining, and the Resource Description Framework (RDF), releasing data according to the Linked Data principles and connecting it to other datasets on the web. Finally, two visualization options are presented, using either a photo-realistic rendering or a plain but versatile cylinder-based 3D-model.