- MOTION ANALYSIS LABORATORY
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Low seam miner walking with 20 lb bag (on his back) in tall rubber boots with a hammer for balance support (NIOSH sponsored grant).
Hammer-Walk in Rubber boots by Low-Seam Miners GAIT MECHANICS DURING TURNING
ON SLIPPERY SURFACE
OLDER WORKER GAIT UP THE RAMP POSTURAL BALANCE OF FIREFIGHTER
The laboratory is equipped with a multicamera Peak Performance Motion Analysis System as well as a Peak Motus Realtime System. These systems consist of multi-camera videography stations which perform full-function motion analysis.
The laboratory houses both dynamic task station, including a 24 foot walkway with embedded force platforms, and overhead monorails to provide full-body harness support to the subjects to prevent accidental falls, and static task station, that emplys a force platform and includes a safety harness.
- Postural Stability Testing
- Eye Movement Testing Laboratory
- Vision Testing Laboratory
- Muscular Activity Measurement Center
- Plantar Pressure Measurement
- Ergometer
The postural stability analysis laboratory employs a piezoresistive force platform for measurement of ground reaction forces and moments. Softwares developed in the laboratory (copyrighted to University of Cincinnati) are used in calculating the center of pressure movement under the feet of the subject while performing tasks. The software allows advanced analyses and plotting of relevant parameters associated with postural imbalance.
This laboratory is dedicated to the measurement of the saccadic eye movement and its quantification during task performance. The major equipment used in this laboratory is the ISCAN Eye Movement device, consisting of the Head Hunter System, manufactured by ISCAN, Inc. The system allows the quantification of the movement of the line of sight during a test peroid and can be used to evaluate the fixation time, frequency, history, and pattern of tracing of the eye-vector over pre-specified target area in the visual field of the subject.
The laboratory is equipped with instruments to perform central and peripheral vision testing. Vision plays a critical role in the form of an afferent input to the balance maintenance. Biomechanical task performance has been shown to be significantly affected by impairment of visual information caused by external (blockage of vision, etc.) and internal (effect of age, disease, etc.) factors. The laboratory has acquired several equipments for evaluating the visual functioning for subjects in the experimentation. These include ISCAN, Stand Perimeter (Inami), color sensitivity tests, peripheral vision test (Lafayette Instruments).
The muscular activity is measured using electromyographic equipment. The laboratory consists of Paromed Datalogger System. This system is capable of collecting 8 channels of EMG data using a 0.5 lb datalogger unit which is completely independent. Thus, it allows wireless collection of data, without the noise introduced by usual telemetric wireless systems.
The laboratory also consists of a Muscle Strength Measurement System, that allows the measurement of voluntary muscular strength measurement for the major muscles of the body segments. It allows the collection of isometric strength measurement, along with the collection of the muscular activity level using the Paromed Datalogger system described above.
The plantar pressure measurement capability includes FSCAN that provides real-time measurement of the plantar pressure while the subject wears a thin in-sole pressure transducer. The information obtained is used in studying the pressure pattern under the feet while performing tasks under adverse external risk factors.
The ergometer, by Monark, is a computer interfaced device for admininstering measured amount of physical workload to the subjects. Increased workload predisposes the workers to fatigue that may worsen their ability to safely perform tasks under adverse conditions.
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For further information contact Dr. Amit Bhattacharya at bhattaat@uc.edu
Last updated 10/26/99, EDA