Student Projects
One of the most important components of the Anatomy of Movement course is to explore human motion through projects. Visit the team blogs to find out more about the projects as they evolve. Below are the four projects the class will tackle.
Introduction to the Student Projects
Students will develop a research question and test a hypothesis, using physical or computational models simulating human movement, and create a final 4-minute podcast of the project with a written report. The team will develop a storyboard that outlines the project, and update it weekly. The storyboard will help define the scope and presentation of the project and serve as the framework for the podcast of the project. Progress will be tracked in a team-maintained weblog (3-5 entries/wk). Students present the final project to the class, including the podcast, as well as submit a final digitized and written report. All projects are to be considered for future presentation to an academic meeting, or submission to an academic journal. Previous projects will be available as streaming video, reports, and podcasts on this website.
Student Projects from Previous Years
Student Projects for Winter Quarter 2008
1. Upper Limb Reach and Grasp Sonification
Understanding the kinematics and kinetics of upper limb reach and grasp are essential for surgical and medical treatment of patients with upper limb injury. A biofeedback training device for upper limb motion will be developed based on auditory representation of kinematic data during the reach and grasp motion. Auditory cues are the primary feedback for learning novel movement and improving accuracy. Researchers from CCRMA (Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics), will assist students in analyzing acoustical representation of upper limb mechanics using 3-D motion analysis data from the Motion & Gait Analysis Lab and sonification techniques developed at CCRMA.
Resources: Motion & Gait Analysis Lab, CCRMA
Advisors: Rose, Ladd, Willis Mentor: LaMont Consultants: Butler, Johanson, CCRMA staff
2. Three-dimensional Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Gait Learning Module
The focus of this project is to further develop a 3-D educational module on gait. We have chosen the upper limb reach and grasp cycle for students to investigate and assess. This is an everyday task yet is challenging to deconstruct from a functional and physiologic perspective. The gait cycle, offers a framework from which to analyze kinematics of lower limb joint motion and EMG muscle acitivity and thus, identify movement deficits for clinical evaluation. Students will develop a teaching module which will include a basic lesson plan as well as visualizations to investigate the phases, functional events, kinematics and EMG during gait 3-D motion analysis and electromyography data. This 3-D Visualization Learning Module will evaluate normal limb motion during gait, as follows.
1) Describe the primary joint kinematics and kinetics of the hip, knee and ankle during gait
2) Describe the primary muscle actions across joints during the activity
3) Describe the role of trunk and upper limb motion during gait.
Resources: Motion & Gait Analysis Lab
Advisors: Rose, Willis Mentor: Zhao Consultants: Butler3. Evaluation of the Golf Swing: Body Mechanics and Acoustics
The elusive perfect golf swing is a matter of many things: tempo and timing, as well as body mechanics and position are perhaps key elements. Body shape and size does not necessarily determine power and speed, nor is it predictive of one’s potential in a game that is as mental as it is physical. Although swing mechanics are well visualized for club development and for video games, motion capture of the golf swing has been largely untapped for its potential usefulness in injury prevention and treatment, and in conditioning and training. Stanford golf coaches (Conrad Ray and Caroline O’Connor) and professional golfers, along with researchers from the Motion & Gait Analysis Lab and CCRMA, will assist students in developing:
1) Graphic representation of essential elements of golf swing biomechanics
2) Sonification of essential biomechanics of golf swing power generation based on acoustical representation using 3-D motion analysis and sonification techniques developed by CCRMA.
Resources: Motion & Gait Analysis Lab, CCRMA staff
Advisors: Rose, Ladd, Willis Mentor: Meister Consultants: Zhao, Ray, O’Connor, Berger, Butler4. Biomechanical Analysis of Taiji Master
Taiji (tai chi), the ancient martial art and exercise involves slow, gentle movements as training exercises that transform into the extremely fast, powerful movements of the martial art through a unique combination of muscle force, subtle weight shift and high accelerations. In the Motion & Gait Analysis Lab researchers have recently captured real-time movements of Taiji Master Chen Xiang, visiting from Bejing, China, that showcased the extremely fast movements generated by a taiji master’s deadly strike. To examine how the master can generate these deadly strikes without brute force, a hypothesis was developed: The taiji master transfers his energy to the point of impact by coming close to an idealized transfer of momentum called impulse. Researchers on the Motion & Gait Analsyis Lab will assist students to investigate the unique biomechanics of taiji.
Resources: Motion & Gait Lab
Advisors: Rose, Willis Mentor: Zhao Consultants: Lee, Demircan