The relationship between speed, contact time and peak plantar pressure in terrestrial walking of bonobos

The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, we investigate whether contact times, as recorded by pedobarographic systems during quadrupedal and bipedal walking of bonobos, can be used to reliably calculate actual velocities, by applying formulae based on lateral-view video recordings. Secondly, we investigate the effect of speed on peak plantar pressures during bipedal and quadrupedal walking of the bonobo. Data were obtained from 4 individuals from a group of bonobos at the Animal Park Planckendael. From our study, we can conclude that both walking speeds calculated from contact times and lower leg length or simply from recorded contact times are good estimators for walking speed, when direct observation of the latter is impossible. Further, it was found that effects of speed on peak plantar pressures and vertical forces are absent or at least subtle in comparison to a large variation in pressure patterns. In bonobos, the same pressure patterns are used at all walking speeds, and, in consequence, we do not expect major changes in foot function.