Author_Institution :
Electrical Eng. and Computer Science, Colorado School of Mines, Brown Building W350B, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, 80401 USA
Abstract :
I can´t describe the thrill of stepping out of an open door of an airplane and falling toward the ground. Once the parachute opens, the slow descent beneath the deployed canopy is relaxing, until the ground gets near. The last few seconds are fast and dangerous, requiring good judgment, with no time to think. We want the landing to be safe. The phrase ??land on your feet?? means that everything is okay after a difficult experience. A good landing is a primary goal in parachuting, flying in an airplane, or, if you are a cat, falling from a tree or building. A cat usually lands on its feet when it falls to the ground (http://animal.discovery.com/pets/why-do-cats-land-on-their-feet.htm), because it has the body mechanics and inner-ear functions that allow it to take corrective action dur ing the fall. Veterinarians have found that cats frequently survive falls from fifth-floor apartments better than from the first or second floor, because they have more time to position themselves and prepare for the landing.