Vicon Standard 2009

NO.1 2009

Vicon Setting the standard for Life Sciences

Two Vicon systems (a 6 camera MX13system and a 460 with 6 MCAM1’s plus anMX Control) have been used to capture themovements of the Swiss National FencingTeam enabling the team to better understandand improve their performances as well asreduce the risk of injury.

Precise movement, reaction and speedrequired by the athlete make fencing a verychallenging area to study. The focus of thisproject is on the coordination between themovement and muscular activation of theleg and shoulder muscles. We used a

TheStandard

Beat Göpfert : Laboratory of OrthopaedicBiomechanics, CM & BE, University of Basel, SwitzerlandJacqueline Romkes : Laboratory forMovement Analysis, CM & BE, UniversityChildren’s Hospital Basel, Switzerland

En Garde - Attaque - Touche:The Biomechanicsof Fencing

Fencing is a verydemanding sport due tothe precise movement,reaction and speedrequired by the athlete.

whole body marker set up (Romkes 2007)with two additional markers on the pelvis,three markers on the weapon and thetarget. The fencers aim to hit the target as precisely as possible while the activation of 14 muscles is recorded by surfaceelectromyography (EMG) and the signalsanalyzed using the wavelet transformationmethod according to von Tscharner (vonTscharner 2000). Reaction time is a keyelement in fencing. Athletes start when a light at the target goes on. The target is equipped with an additional load cell to record the impact force of the weapon.

08Vicon ProfilesDr. D Raichlen and Dr. H Pontzer

10Ergonomic motion capture in the fieldDr. R. Mizner and Dr. D. Anton.

12Animated RecoveryMotek Medical

We use a test setup that closely simulatestraining and competition conditions. Anathlete reacts to the movements of his/heropponent and performs the correctmovement to hit the opponent first, inorder to score a point and win the bout.In this project, the athletes make smallvertical bounces while standing with eachfoot on one of the force plates. As soon asthe light on the target goes on they have to perform a flèche attack and try to hitthe target in the centre. Athletes arerequired to perform ten successful trialswhere they aim to hit the target perfectly.

We have analyzed the kinematics, kineticsand the wavelet transformed EMG of eightmale fencers from the Swiss NationalTeam. The wavelet transformed from EMGenables us to determine each stage of themovement, in which frequency band and at what intensity a muscular activationoccurs. Overall we observed differentmovement strategies among the 8 fencers

while performing a flèche attack. The moreexperienced fencers execute the forwardmovement of the trunk and arm moreparallel than the less experienced fencers,where the movement is sequential.

Overview of University of BaselThe Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanicsand the Laboratory for Movement Analysisare part of the Clinical Morphology &Biomedical Engineering Department (CM & BE) of the Medical Faculty at theUniversity of Basel. The Laboratory ofOrthopaedic Biomechanics was founded in 1990 by Professor Erwin W. Morscher,

a pioneer in orthopaedic surgery. Its mainfocus is biomechanical research frommacro (e.g. implant testing and development)to nano scale (e.g. material stability andsurface reaction) and is equipped withdifferent material testing machines (MTS,Calorimeters) to help answer questions on biomedical engineering.

The Laboratory for Movement Analysis was established in the late 1960s, as thefirst clinical gait lab in Europe specializing in clinical gait analysis of individuals with complex movement disorders for both clinical and research purposes. The laboratory is equipped with two Vicon systems.• A Vicon 460 system with 6 MCAMs• A Vicon MX system with 6 MX13s plus • a MX Control• Two Kistler force plates • Three EMG systems • Vicon Workstation, Nexus, Polygon, • BodyBuilder, as well as Matlab software

The close collaboration between thelaboratories also allows Master and PhDstudents from various backgrounds to gainexperience in human movement sciencesand related fields. The biomechanics offencing is just one of the many projectsbeing carried out at the University of Basel. n

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g Preparing Marcel Fischer for the g pilot test by Beat Göpfert (left) g and Corina Nüesch (middle) g under the critical observation g of the national coach


h View in Workstation of an athlete performing a flèche attack

OutlookThe combined analysis of kinematics,kinetics, and wavelet transformed EMG is a standard procedure in the majority ofour projects related to human movementsciences. It helps us to understand theinteraction between movement andmuscular activation and the tuning ofcomplex movements. For our sportsbiomechanics projects, our goal is not only to understand the performance butalso to improve the athletes’ performanceand reduce the risk of injuries.

AcknowledgmentThe fencing project was supported by the ProMotio Foundation in Basel and the Robert Mathys-Foundation (RMS) in Bettlach, Switzerland.

LiteratureRomkes et al, J Pediatr Orthop B.,16:175-180, 2007.

von Tscharner, J Electromyogr Kinesiol,10:433-445, 2000.

Working on the Fencing ProjectMarcel Fischer (MD), Julien Frere (M.Sc.), Niklaus F. Friederich (MD),Beat Göpfert (MEng, EMBA),Corina Nüesch (M.Sc.),Jacqueline Romkes (Ph.D),Dieter Wirz (MD),

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Mean Multi-Muscle Intensity pattern of three muscles for 10 flèche trials from one subject.The grey scale indicates the intensity of the muscular activation (low: white, high: black)MS: Start of the movement; HT: Hit of the target; MBE: Maximum bending of the épée

Editors NoteWelcome to the latestissue of The Standard. Thisexpansive issue is ourlargest to date and is atestament to the interest inthe field of biomechanicsand all of the Vicon usersconducting researchthrought the world.

We mail over 2,000 copies to peoplearound the world and distribute TheStandard at 15 conferences we attend.

Every issue is also available online atwww.vicon.com/standard

Our goal is to introduce you to the manyinteresting and innovative waysmembers of the Vicon family are usingtheir systems.

If you would like to see your lab orresearch featured in a future issue,please contact us [email protected]

If you’ve been using your Vicon systemfor an unusual application be sure to get in touch so we can feature your workin the next issue.

Tara ValgoiVice President Global Marketing

Emma WixeyMarketing Manager

Lindsey Gerber and Patricia FaustEditorial Team

Vicon Sponsors Major Engineering Award

The award was open to recent graduates(2007), third/fourth year Undergraduatesand taught Masters Degree students, whocompleted or were working on a projectinvolving the design or development of amedical device.

Robin Read, a student from MiddlesexUniversity, scooped the top prize for hisproject - 'The Design and Development ofan End-Effector for a Wheelchair-MountedRobotic Arm'.

Iain Charlton, biomechanical engineer anddeveloper at Vicon, has been a boardmember of the IMechE Medical EngineeringDivision (MED), independently of Vicon, forfive years. This year he was in charge oforganizing the student competition.

Charlton said, “The day was a great success,thanks in part to the extra sponsorshipfrom Vicon, helping to attract more entries.

This is definitely an eventthat's growing and somethingwe can be proud of beinginvolved with.

The supervisors I spoke to now make it aregular event to encourage their studentsto apply to and we reach more Universitiesevery year.”

Winner, Robin Read said: "I am honored to have won the Vicon sponsored categoryin the 2008 IMechE MED Student ProjectCompetition. Receiving such recognition

from such a prestigious institution hasvery much validated what I have beendoing for the past year.”

Charlton continued, “One of the benefits of being the sponsor is to judge. AlthoughRobin wowed us with his presentation, all of the finalists were very impressiveand came across exceptionally well. It’sbeen exciting to see such a high quality of entries this year.”

Next year, Vicon hopes to be even moreinvolved and take an active part in theIndustry and Academic Exhibition, which is aimed at schools and colleges. n

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Vicon has supported the 2008 IMechE MED Student ProjectCompetition award ‘Best Project involving the Design orDevelopment of a Medical Device’ with a prize value of £500.

h Robin Read,h 2008 Winner

Some £2.5 billion is spent every year in theUK alone on dental materials, which areused to replace or strengthen teeth. ButKazem Alemzadeh, an engineer at BristolUniversity and the Bristol RoboticsLaboratory, says the way these materialsrespond to everyday wear and tear can behard to predict.

Dr. Kazem Alemzadeh in the bio-engineeringresearch group of the Department ofMechanical Engineering captures thechewing motion with a Vicon motioncapture system to test how materialswould wear in the mouths of individualpeople. The temporomandibular joint

(TMJ), connecting the lower jaw to thetemporal bone at the side of the head, is one of the most complex joints in thehuman body. It has previously provedimpossible to track with six degrees offreedom – the ability of the jaw to movesmoothly up and down and side to side,allowing us to chew food, talk and yawn –but thanks to the accuracy of the Viconsystem, Alemzadeh and his team have beenable achieve the level of precision required.

For more information on the Dento-Munchproject visithttp://www.bris.ac.uk/engineering/news/2008/5.html n

Vicon Online UniversityNow OpenThe Vicon Online University ispleased to offer a series ofnew training courses. The classes are presented via Webex to conveniently giveyou an in-depth understanding of the Vicon softwarepackages including Nexus, the Plug-In Gait model,BodyBuilder and Polygon. Please note courses areprovided free of charge to customers under warranty, with Support credits or a Premier support contract.Courses are available at both Mountain Standard Time and Greenwich Mean Time. To register for a course visithttp://www.vicon.com/spots/onlineuniversity.html

h Images courtesy of Kazem Alemzadeh,h University of Bristol.

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Dento-munch Trials at the University of BristolRevolutionary research taking place at the University of Bristol aims to provide amore realistic way to test materials for use in dentistry.

ConferencesNorth America

FEBRUARY

VETERINARY ORTHOPEDIC SOCIETY*VICON EXHIBITING28 February-07 March 2009Steamboat Springs, Coloradowww.amrms.com/ssl/gcmas/

AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION*VICON EXHIBITING09-12 February 2009Las Vegas, Nevadawww.apta.org/csm09

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS*VICON EXHIBITING - BOOTH # 475025-28 February 2009Las Vegas, Nevada 2009www.aaos.org

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINEREGIONAL MEETING20-21 February 2009Seattle, WashingtonHttp://www.acsm.org/am/template.cfm?section=regional_chapter_meetings&template=/cm/htmldisplay.cfm&contentid=3535

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE REGIONAL MEETING27-28 February 2009Colorado Springs, ColoradoHttp://www.acsm.org/am/template.cfm?section=regional_chapter_meetings&template=/cm/htmldisplay.cfm&contentid=3535

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE REGIONAL MEETING12-14 February 2009Birmingham, AlabamaHttp://www.acsm.org/am/template.cfm?section=regional_chapter_meetings&template=/cm/htmldisplay.cfm&contentid=3535

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS -17TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON COMPUTATIONALMETHODS IN ORTHOPAEDIC BIOMECHANICS21 February 2009Las Vegas, Nevadawww.pre-ors.org/?cade4400

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE -ADVANCED TEAM PHYSICIAN COURSE4-8 February 2009Orlando, Floridawww.acsm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Education/Conferences/TeamPhysicianCourse/TPC_2009.htm

MARCH

GAIT AND CLINICAL MOVEMENT ANALYSIS SOCIETY- 14TH ANNUAL MEETING*VICON EXHIBITING & HOSTING USER GROUP MEETING10-13 March 2009Denver, Coloradowww.gcmas.org/conference

AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH, PHYSICALEDUCATION, RECREATION & DANCE31 March-04 April 2009Tampa, Floridawww.ahperd.org

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS - AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOTISTS ANDPROSTHETISTS—ANNUAL MEETING ANDSCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM4-7 March 2009Atlanta, Georgiawww.academyannualmeeting.org/2009/

APRIL

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE ON BIOMECHANICS11-12 April 2009Thousand Oaks, Californiawww.callutheran.edu/biomechanics

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS -INTERNATIONAL PATELLOFEMORAL JOINTRESEARCH RETREAT30 April-2 May 2009Baltimore, Marylandwww.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=651959

MAY

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE - 56TH ANNUAL MEETING*VICON EXHIBITING27-30 May 2009 Seattle, Washingtonwww.acsm.org/annualmeeting

INJURY BIOMECHANICS SYMPOSIUM17-19 May 2009Columbus, Ohiohttp://medicine.osu.edu/ibrl/3714.cfm

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS - 25TH SOUTHERN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERINGCONFERENCE15-17 May 2009Miami, Floridawww.bme.fiu.edu/SBEC2009/

JUNE

SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS – SEM XII ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION ON EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED MECHANICS1-2 June 2009Albuquerque, New Mexicowww.sem.org/Conferences.asp

SUMMER BIOENGINEERING CONFERENCE17-21 June 2009Lake Tahoe, Californiawww.asmeconferences.org/sbc2009/

NORTHWEST BIOMECHANICS SYMPOSIUM5-6 June 2009Pullman, Washingtonhttp://coen.boisestate.edu/NBSymposium/index.asp

JULY

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINEREGIONAL MEETING7-11 July 2009Sitka, Alaskahttp://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Regional_Chapter_Meetings&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=3535

AUGUST

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS - 2009 ANNUAL MEETING26-29 August 2009State College, Pennsylvaniawww.conferences.psu.edu/ASB2009

SEPTEMBER

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE - 125TH BIENNIAL SYMPOSIUM OF THEINTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND FITNESS RESEARCH2-4 September 2009Loma Linda, Californiawww.acsm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Education/CalendarofEvents/EventCalendar1.pdf

OCTOBER

SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS–SEMSYMPOSIUM AND WORKSHOP5-7 October 2009Columbia, South Carolinwww.sem.org/CONF-FALL-TOP.asp

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Rest of the World

JANUARY

9TH MOTOR CONTROL & HUMAN SKILLS CONFERENCE28-31 January 2009Hobart, Australiawww.utas.edu.au/psychol/external_conference/mcsc/index.htm

MARCH

INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION ANDDEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE - INTED20099-11 March 2009Valencia, Spainwww.iated.org/inted2009/

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF SPORT & EXERCISESCIENCES - 2009 BASES STUDENT CONFERENCE31 March- 1 April 2009University of Hull, UKwww.bases.org.uk/studentconf.asp

CLINICAL MOVEMENT ANALYSIS SOCIETY UK AND IRELAND - CMAS 2009*VICON EXHIBITING30-31 March 2009Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, UKhttp://www.cmasuki.org/home.htm

APRIL

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE - 4THINTERNATIONAL STATE-OF-THE-ART CONGRESS,REHABILITATION: MOBILITY, EXERCISE & SPORTS7-9 April 2009Amsterdam, The Netherlandswww.move.vu.nl/links/rehabmove2009

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTATIONAL& EXPERIMENTAL ENGINEERING AND SCIENCES8-12 April 2009Puket, Thailandwww.icces.org/cgi-bin/ices09/pages/index

STAFFORDSHIRE CONFERENCE ON CLINICALBIOMECHANICSApril 2009Staffordshire, UKhttp://www.staffs.ac.uk/sccb/

MAY

2ND BRAZILIAN BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING MEETING6-8 May 2009Florianopolos, Santa Catarina, Brazilwww.enebi2009.ufsc.br/

THEMATIC WORKSHOP OF THE SOCIETE DEBIOMECHANIQUE - THE HUMAN MACHINETHROUGHOUT SPORTS PERFORMANCES14-15 May 2009Poitiers, Francehttp://jtsb2009.conference.univ-poitiers.fr/?lang=en

JUNE

4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION INJURIES2-4 June 2009Montreal, Canadawww.irsst.qc.ca/en/home-vibrations-2009.html

EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS 2009WORKSHOP - MOVEMENT BIOMECHANICS AND SPORT7-9 June 2009Zurich, Switzerlandwww.esb2009.ethz.ch/

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR POSTURE AND GAIT RESEARCH *VICON EXHIBITING21-25 June 2009Bologna, Italyhttp://ispgr.org/conferences/italy-2009/conference-overview/index.html

EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS SCIENCE24-27 June 2009Oslo, Norwayhttp://www.ecss-congress.eu/OSLO2009/

JULY

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICSCONFERENCE - 22ND CONGRESS*VICON EXHIBITING5-9 July 2009Cape Town, South Africawww.isb2009.org/

FOURTH INTERNATIONAL ANKLE SYMPOSIUM16-18 July 2009Sydney, Australiawww.fhs.usyd.edu.au/clinicalrehabilitation/IAS4/speakers.shtml

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF MOTOR CONTROL -7TH EDITION OF PROGRESS IN MOTOR CONROL23-25 July 2009Marseilles, Francewww.pmc2009.fr/

XIII BRAZILIAN CONGRESS OF BIOMECHANICS28 July- August 1 2009Sao Paolo, Brazilhttp://isbweb.org/o/content/view/40/57/

AUGUST

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS INSPORTS - ANNUAL MEETING*VICON EXHIBITING17-21 August 2009Limerick, Irelandhttp://www.isbs.org/

SEPTEMBER

EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF MOVEMENT ANALYSIS INADULTS AND CHILDREN - XVIII ANNUAL ESMAC*VICON EXHIBITING14-19 September 2009London, UKhttp://www.esmac.org/

4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ONCOMPUTATIONAL BIOENGINEERING16-18 September 2009Bertinoro, Italywww.iccb2009.org/

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF SPORT & EXERCISESCIENCES - 2009 BASES ANNUAL CONFERENCE1-3 September 2009Leeds Metropolitan University, UKwww.bases.org.uk/annualconf.asp

4TH ASIA-PACIFIC CONGRESS SPORTSTECHNOLOGY - APCST 2009 - THE IMPACT OFTECHNOLOGY ON SPORTS21 – 23 September 2009Honolulu, Hawaiihttp://www.rmit.edu.au/apcst2009

IEEE 31ST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEOF ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY SOCIETY2–6 September 2009Minneapolis, Minnesotahttp://www.embs.org/conferences/index.html

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL ONBIOMECHANICS OF INJURY2–6 September 2009Minneapolis, Minnesotahttp://www.embs.org/conferences/index.html

OCTOBER

SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS - SEMSYMPOSIUM AND WORKSHOP5-7 October 2009Columbia, South Carolinwww.sem.org/CONF-FALL-TOP.asp

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Vicon motion captureequipment maysomeday play a role infully understanding theorigins of humanbipedalism. According to Dr. David Raichlen, the Holy Grail in the field of anthropology is why did bipedalismevolve in the first place?

Dr. David Raichlen, Ph.D., AssistantProfessor of Anthropology at Universityof Arizona in Tucson, and Dr. HermanPontzer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University ofWashington in St. Louis each have theirown Vicon motion analysis labs at theirrespective universities. During thesummer of 2008, they took a Viconsystem on the road to the Great ApeTrust in Des Moines, Iowa, to study thedifference in energy output betweenorangutans and humans.

Dr. Pontzer stated the hypothesis of thisresearch project was that “Humans are a high energy throughput species. Wecontend that orangutans do not have the

Vicon ProfilesDr. David Raichlen and Dr. Herman Pontzer

University AnthropologistsShed Light on the Holy Grail of Anthropology

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same large energy budgets as humans.Evolution is all about how you turnenergy into offspring.” Scientists know,for example, that human walking is 75%less costly than both quadrupedal andbipedal walking in chimpanzees. Thedata collected from this recent study onorangutans will hopefully provideinformation on energy use in a closelyrelated species and will help scientistsbetter understand how humanbipedalism evolved.

Challenges Presented Workingwith PrimatesBoth scientists reported there wereparticular challenges working with the

orangutans. “You cannot train theorangutans to not pull off the markers;they are too inquisitive,” said Pontzer. “So we got one take and were able to do a video analysis. Also, the difference(between humans and orangutans) is sogreat that the errors that occur from notbeing able to use the actual markers do not pose a problem. Respiration datawas collected (volts vs time) through theVicon MX Control”.

When asked how Vicon contributed tothis research project, Raichlen replied“The speed in which we can analyze thedata is much faster with Vicon. The whole process is much faster andsmoother; it takes five minutes versus


h Azy, 32 year old male Orangutan.

a week to perform the analysis.” Pontzeradded that he chose Vicon equipment“because it was a greater value for themoney. We got more cameras, betterequipment and more capability. With Vicon,we have the ability to simultaneously collectmultiple data sources—respirometry, EMG,multiple cameras, force plate and more.”

The Holy Grail of AnthropologyRaichlen also stated that “the preliminaryfindings of our study of the great apes givethe first view of the empirical evidence ofape energetics. We have the first glimpseat what kind of energy shifts happened 6-8million years ago.” What would constitutea breakthrough in Pontzer and Raichlen’sresearch—to fully understand the originsof bipedalism? Raichlen said “We need to find a pelvis designed like humans. The earliest pelvic structure that has beenfound existed 3-4 million years after theorigin of bipedalism. A breakthroughwould be to apply this model of kinematicsto fossils that are old enough. The HolyGrail (in this field) is why did bipedalismevolve in the first place? This may never be answered.” Analyzing the orangutans willprovide one more piece of the anthropologicalpuzzle that spans millions of years of evolution.

What does the future hold for Pontzer andRaichlen? Visit http://www.dmanisi.org.ge/to learn about Pontzer’s field work in theRepublic of Georgia, where evidence wasfound of the first hominids to venture outof Africa. Raichlen is currently examiningthe neurobiology of running in mammalsto better understand the motivation forendurance running; ultimately, this studywill help determine whether endurancerunning played a role in the evolution of humans.

The Great Ape Trust is located in DesMoines, Iowa, and it is a world classresearch facility that focuses on non-invasive,cognitive research. Its mission is to providesanctuary and an honorable life for thegreat apes living there, study their intelligence,advance the conservation of great apes,and provide unique educational experiencesto a limited public in a way that cannot be compared in any way to a zoo. Theorangutan subjects, Azy, Knobi, Allie andKaty were likeable, willing subjects, andthey were never forced to do anything theydid not wish to do. More information canbe found on them atwww.greatapetrust.org n

Related ResearchChimpanzee EnergeticsInsights into Ape Locomotor Evolution and the Origins of BipedalismPontzer, Raichlen & Sockol

Biomechanics of Dmanisi HominidsLocomotor Adaptations in the FirstHominids in EuropePontzer, Jashashvilli, Rightmire, &Lordkipanidze

Pelvic Dimorphism and LocomotorEfficiencyLinking Limb Design and LocomotorEnergeticsPontzer

Evolution of Bipedal Walking andRunningthe role of endurance running in theevolution of humansRaichlen, Lieberman & Bramble

Locomotor Ontogeny in Baboonsthe effects of limb mass distribution onthe locomotor mechanics and energeticsof primatesRaichlen & Shapiro

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The speed in which wecan analyze the data is much faster with Vicon.The whole process is much faster andsmoother; it takes fiveminutes versus a weekto perform the analysis.

The Human EvolutionaryBiomechanics Laboratory is located at the Departmentof Anthropology atWashington University, St. Louis, Missouri.

Here, Dr. Pontzer, his team and colleaguesstudy the form, function, and evolution of the primate musculoskeletal system,focusing on locomotor energetics,biomechanics, and ranging ecologyin humans and other apes.http://artsci.wustl.edu/~hpontzer/EvoBiomechLab.htm

The University of Arizona (Tucson) EvolutionaryBiomechanics Lab examines the evolution ofmammalian locomotion using a combination of experimental and model-based techniques.

Dr. Raichlen utilizes a wide array of equipment to measure kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation in both humans and non-human organisms.http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~raichlen/RaichlenLab.html

h Knobi, 30 year old female orangutan.

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ErgonomicMotion Capturein the Field

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) are quite common amongconstruction trade workers. The cost of work-related MSDs to the economy isestimated in the billions of dollars in lostwages, medical expenses, and insuranceadministration costs. Bricklayers haveparticularly high rates of injury with about75% reporting low back symptoms andover half with shoulder symptoms.Exposure to physical risk factors in theworkplace has been associated withMSDs. Examples of physical risk factorsinclude repetitive heavy lifting of concreteblocks that can weigh over 20kg, awkwardtrunk and arm postures, and forcefulexertions while building walls.

Drs. Ryan Mizner and Dan Anton atEastern Washington University and Drs.Jennifer Hess and Laurel Kincl at theUniversity of Oregon are collaborating on a series of investigations to evaluatethe effectiveness of ergonomic controls to reduce MSDs among masonry workers.The projects are funded by a grant awardedto Eastern Washington University from theCenter for Construction Research andTraining (CPWR) and National Institute

of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH).At some masonry worksites, concreteblocks are handled by two-person liftteams, instead of by a single mason. Theextent to which this promising ergonomiccontrol reduces physical risk factors wasthe first intervention to be investigatedwith the project.

Video motion capturetracked body segmentand concrete blockposition as part ofdetermination ofphysical exposure ofmasons as they built test walls using each lift technique. Most studies of ergonomics and physicalexposure in the construction tradeindustry use rudimentary estimates ofmotion like a camcorder or visualobservation coupled with a tape measure.

More sophisticated tools likeelectrogoniometers are also used, but they can be bulky and restrict postures of the trunk and shoulder that are part ofa masons normal work day. Video motioncapture systems also have been used inergonomic studies, but are typicallyrestricted to laboratory simulations ofwork environments, often with volunteersinstead of the craftsman that actually plytheir trade. While laboratory experimentsadd the benefit of better precision ofmeasurement of body posture andmovement, there is a trade off of lack ofreal work conditions. The current projectrepresents what is believed to be the firstapplication of video motion capture for inthe field assessments of physical exposurein bricklaying mason’s.

The investigators collaborated with anapprenticeship training center(International Masonry Institute, IMI) inSeattle, WA as an appropriate site withsufficient flexibility and expertise forfieldwork using motion capture. Specialrecognition is due to Terry Hays and LeeWest who are the apprentice instructors at the IMI. Their generous sharing of time

Drs. Ryan Mizner and Dan Antonat Eastern Washington Universityand Drs. Jennifer Hess and LaurelKincl at the University of Oregonare collaborating on a series ofinvestigations to evaluate theeffectiveness of ergonomiccontrols to reduce MSDs amongmasonry workers.

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and knowledge helped make the datacollection as close as possible to realworking conditions.

The research team fabricated customcontainers and packed the lab’s 8 cameraVicon system into a van to drive the 4.5hour trip to the West side of the state.Masons wore elastic shirts and baseballpants during data collection to preventloose clothing from blocking markers, butstill allow for some protection frommaterial handling while building the wall.Since it was possible that the markerscould be covered in mortar duringcollections, a tracking array withredundant markers was used to quantifybody segment’s position in space.

The data collection was aimed atminimizing the interference with thenormal operations of the IMI facility. Mostof the cameras were custom mounted onthe rafters with clamps and cable ties, toavoid the large footprint of using tripodsand the risk of being bumped or damagedfrom passersby. The goal was to capturemotion during one block placement in eachrow in a way that would be accurate andwould not hinder the worker’s movementsor distract them from the job of buildingthe wall. Surface electromyography (EMG)of the upper trapezius muscle, the fingerflexors, and the lumbar paraspinalmuscles was recorded simultaneously withthe motion capture using a Delsys datalogger. The EMG data was used as a meansto quantify muscular exertions andcompliment the kinematic data obtainedfrom the Vicon system.

The study is still ongoing, but early findingssuggest that the two-mason lift teamswere most effective when concrete blockswere handled at waist height. Muscleactivity of the low back and shoulder waslower when using the lift team. Somewhatsurprising, higher shoulder muscle activitywas noted when using lift teams to layblock at the higher rows. Preliminaryresults will be presented this spring at theCombined Sections Meeting of theAmerican Physical Therapy Association,the Construction Safety Conference, andthe Applied Ergonomics Meeting.

Future Ergonomic MotionCapture InvestigationsThe use of rebar is required for structuralsupport in many buildings made of concreteblock. Engineers have expressed increasedconcern about the potential for buildingdamage and personal injury resulting fromblock buildings crumbling followinghurricanes, seismic activity, and terroristbombs. This has led to increased use ofrebar around the country and the trend islikely to continue. In buildings that requirevertical rebar for structural reinforcement,masons lift blocks above their shoulder overrebar to set it in place. The result isconsiderable low back and upper extremityexertion. As use of rebar increases, theincidence of upper extremity and low backinjuries to masons will likely increase.

The research team is currentlyinvestigating alternatives to lifting blockover rebar. One method is to insert rebar

after building the wall, but before pouringthe grout filler using rebar. Anotheralternative is using open-ended H shapedblock. These open-ended blocks allowmasons to place block around rebar (see title photo).

The aim of this study isto examine and compareseveral alternatives toplacing block over rebarto evaluate their effecton worker physicalexposure as it impactsinjury risk.For more information regarding thisproject, contact Dr. Ryan L. Mizner, PT,PhD, Clinical Orthopaedics Laboratory,Eastern Washington University [email protected] or visit our website athttp://www.ewu.edu/x27135.xml/. n

f Markers that f accumulatedf mortar during thef data collection

Contributions by Drs. Ryan Mizner and Dan Anton

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Post Traumatic Stress DisorderRecovery for soldiers wounded inAfghanistan and Iraq isn’t alwaysas simple as treating a physicalinjury. For a lot of the servicemen and women, dealing withPost Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) can be the real battle.

PTSD is a term for severe consequencesof exposure to stressful experiences. Suchas threatened death, serious physicalinjury, or a threat to physical and/or

psychological integrity, to the extent that the usual defences are incapable of coping.

Typical symptoms include restlessness,insomnia, aggression, depression,dissociation, emotional detachment andnightmares. Sufferers can also experiencememory loss regarding the traumaticevent, which sometimes causes otherunderlying psychological conditions to appear.

The presence of a PTSD response isinfluenced by the intensity of the experience,its duration, and the individual person

involved. PTSD may also have a delayedonset of months, years or even decades.

In the UK, the armed forces are not alwayswarmly received when they return home.It’s frequently in the news - getting turnedaway from hotels, receiving inadequatemedical treatment and being unable towear their uniform with pride. However,treatment for injured soldiers is improving.Dealing with PTSD issues quickly allowsthe solider to get on with life and back to where they want to be – whether that’s back to their family and friends, or re-joining their squadron.

Animated RecoveryAn innovative medical research team in The Netherlands has developed an easierroute for recovery for PTSD sufferers

CARENA medical team in TheNetherlands has found a creativeway to utilize cutting edgetechnology to create a trainingenvironment that dramaticallyreduces the recovery time forPTSD sufferers and allows thepatient greater control over their treatment.

MOTEK Medical, the research team behindthe virtual training environment, creates,develops, integrates and implementsrevolutionary technologies for the medicalindustry. It is widely recognized for itsinnovative rehabilitation technology and

achievements in shortening rehabilitationprocesses for orthopaedic andneurological patients.

The virtual environment – the CARENSystem – creates a real-time virtual world,where the patient can interact and moveseamlessly thanks to Vicon motion capturetechnology. The patient’s movements arecaptured by the 13 Vicon MX40+ camerassituated around the studio. This data isthen transferred in real-time to the virtualenvironment, where the patient can seethemselves moving in the animated world.

Oshri Even-Zohar, head researcher atMOTEK Medical said: “The CAREN Systemcan create any environment that isnecessary. The most popular of these, acrowded street scene, allows the patient to

interact with a situation in a completelycontrolled environment.

“Previously, the best a soldier could hopefor would be one-to-one counseling, which can take months, even years, to beeffective. Within CAREN, soldiers can facetheir fears directly and overcome them ata much faster pace, without the fear ofactually being in that situation – they arecompletely in control.”

The rehabilitation time is shortenedthanks to the software behind the system -D-Flow™. It works by enabling the real-time integration of multisensory input andoutput devices; a pioneering set of toolsthat can take over some balance functionsfrom the human brain.

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Within CAREN, soldierscan face their fearsdirectly and overcomethem at a much fasterpace, without the fear of actually being in thatsituation. With this system they are incomplete control.

f Human Body Modeling data f being compared in real time f with EMG data from the samef muscle group

The TechnologyMOTEK started off in 1994 with an aim of creating realisticreal-time animation using motioncapture technology, mainly forthe entertainment industry. Then, 10 years ago, MOTEKreceived funding from theEuropean Commission to develop the CAREN System,which was the first ever multisensory real-time feedbacksystem using immersiveintegrated reality technology.

MOTEK bought its first Vicon motioncapture system 16 years ago, and todayhas a total of 13 cameras.

The system works in real-time and enablesthe creation of a variety of experiments in acontrolled and repeatable environment byusing different virtual reality principles. Itenables the researchers to analyse balancebehaviour, latency, response times and the

relations between different sensory inputsthat affect human decision protocols, humanbalance, posture and locomotion behaviours.

Even-Zohar continued: “For the soldierswe’re treating, the virtual environmentsutilise the multi sensory inputs availableinside the system to apply a type ofexposure therapy; a cognitive behaviouraltherapy technique for reducing fear andanxiety responses. It is similar tosystematic desensitisation, though itworks more quickly and produces morerobust results. It is also very closelyrelated to exposure and responseprevention, a method widely used for thetreatment of obsessive-compulsivedisorder – it’s based on the principles ofhabituation and cognitive dissonance.”

However, PTSD isn’t the only beneficiary ofthis technology.

Even-Zohar explains: “As well as our workwith soldiers suffering from PTSD, we’realso developing a Human Body Model(HBM), which is a software tool enabling, forthe first time, researchers to be able to viewmuscle forces and joint torques in the body

in real-time. Hopefully in the future, this willhave applications for sports performanceenhancement – perhaps even developingour next Olympic winners!”

Muscle ModelingAn understanding of how themuscles in the body work hasn’tbeen possible – until recently.MOTEK has developed a systemwhich allows researchers toanalyse the force of the musclethat you can’t see in operation inthe human body.

Even-Zohar comments: “The patientwears the Vicon motion capture suit andtheir muscular skeleton is represented inreal-time on a digital display. The D-Flow™ software analyses which musclesare in use and highlights them in green –the harder the muscle is working thegreener it will be. The inactive musclesare highlighted in red.

“This data can then be compared to ahealthy patient, to see where thediscrepancies lie. We then advise the patient on how to use their musclescorrectly to achieve optimum performance.”

With more work into this area, Even-Zoharis hoping to isolate the cause behind the‘Parkinson’s tremors’, which someParkinson’s sufferers report. At themoment, it is not known where thisproblem originates. n

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The future for MOTEKMOTEK is leading the way for virtual reality research anddevelopment. At the moment, the majority of its VR patients areinjured soldiers, but as the treatment develops and becomesmore widely available, the CAREN system will revolutionize theway we think about treating all psychological disorders; from afear of flying to claustrophobia.


CAREN software geditor interface

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The laboratory is equipped with 6 ViconMX-T40 cameras; Vicon Nexus, Polygon,and Motus Video software; four AMTI OR6-6 force platforms; and a Delsys 16-channel EMG system.

The lab will mutually support fourresearch programs within UMKC’s Schoolof Computing and Engineering, withcontributions from its Computer Scienceand Electrical Engineering and Civil andMechanical Engineering departments.Funding for the laboratory’s equipment

was obtained through a National ScienceFoundation Major ResearchInstrumentation (NSF-MRI) grant.

Faculty members directly involved in thisendeavor are Dr. Trent M. Guess, Dr.Gregory W. King, Dr. Reza Derakhshaniand Dr. Walter D. Leon-Salas. Researchactivities within this group includecomputational and experimentalbiomechanics, biomedical signalprocessing, biometrics and body areasensor networks. Planned projects within

the laboratory include capturing real-world human activities for multi-scalecomputational knee model simulations,predicting and eliminating fall risk amongbalance-impaired older adults, finding gaitcharacteristics for biometric identificationand validating sensor networks used inmobile motion capture applications.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City(UMKC), one of four University of Missouricampuses, is a public university servingmore than 14,000 undergraduate,graduate and professional students.

Celebrating 75 years, UMKCengages with the communityand economy based on afour-part mission: life andhealth sciences; visual andperforming arts; urbanissues and education; and avibrant learning and campuslife experience.

Congratulations to the entire team at UMKC, we wish you success in your research and will follow-up your work in a future issue of The Standard. n

h Left to right: Dr. Walter D. Leon-Salas, Dr. Gregory W. King, Dr. Reza Derakhshani, h Assistant Professor and Dr. Trent M. Guess.

New Gait Laboratoryat The University ofMissouri-Kansas CityThe School of Computing and Engineering atthe University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)opened the university’s first gait and balancelaboratory in December 2008.

Digital CameraWinnerAzael Herrero from the UniversidadEuropea Miguel de Cervantes wasthe lucky name to be pulled out ofthe hat to win the digital camera.

Azael completed the Vicon OnlineSurvey along with 100 otherentrants. As you can see from hisphoto he was over the moon to win.

JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL USER GROUPMEETING AND SUPPORT+SERVICESESSIONS DURING GCMAS 2009DENVER, COMARCH 10-13

Support+Service SessionsHYATT REGENCY DENVER AT THE COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER

Vicon Support+Services will be offering 45 minute One on One sessions that will allow users to focus on specific topics with a dedicated Support Engineer. Take thisopportunity to ask all of the technical support questions you’ve been meaning to callabout and you can find out more about our Service and Support plans. While you’rethere, be sure to check out the many classes now offered at our newly developed Online University. Time slots will be available on the hour between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM Tuesday through Friday excluding lunch breaks. Reserve your time bycontacting [email protected]

User Group EventBUBBA GUMP SHRIMP COMPANYWEDNESDAY, MARCH 11TH 6:30PMDINNER & DRINKS

This year’s event is all about you – the user. Take a moment to tell us what you’d like to see at the User Group Event and be entered to win one of 3 iPod’s to be given away.

Please RSVP to [email protected] to secure a spot for each member of yourgroup attending this event.

www.vicon.com/[email protected]

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Vicon Annual User Group


Vicon Standard 2009

Documents

Transcript of Vicon Standard 2009