Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/33

The mission of the Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Department is to serve the State of Montana, the region, and the nation by providing outstanding leadership and contributions in knowledge discovery, student learning, innovation and entrepreneurship, and service to community and profession.

Browse

Filters

2021 - 20232

Settings

search.filters.applied.f.department: search.filters.department.Mechanical & Industrial Engineering.Subject: search.filters.subject.biomechanics

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Development of a Novel Perturbation Platform System for Balance Response Testing and Rehabilitation Interventions
    (ASME International, 2023-04) Pew, Corey A.; Sadeh, Soroosh; Hsiao, Hao-Yuan; Neptune, Richard R.
    Balance perturbations are often used to gain insight into reactive control strategies used to prevent falls. We developed a perturbation platform system (PPS) that can induce perturbations in both vertical and angled directions. The PPS was evaluated using human subject testing to verify its function and performance. The final system consisted of two box platforms that can individually perform vertical and angled surface perturbations. Following a perturbation, the system can automatically reset for the next iteration under the weight of the standing participant. The PPS achieves a peak downward acceleration of 4.4 m/s2 during drop events that simulate sudden surface changes. The experimental testing revealed that the perturbation induced a peak limb loading of 280 ± 38% of body weight (BW) during vertical drops and that participants' center of mass displacements were consistent with previous balance studies evaluating vertical perturbations. The system can be used in a laboratory or clinical setting to better understand balance response and control mechanisms and assist in rehabilitation training to improve balance control and help mitigate the incidence of falls.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Quantifying National Biomechanics Day’s Impact on Student Perceptions toward Biomechanics: A Multisite Pilot Study
    (Elsevier BV, 2021-12) Monfort, Scott M.; Bigelow, Kimberly E.; Vallabhajosula, Srikant; Evertz, Loribeth Q.; Becker, James N.; Wittstein, Matthew W.; Gannon, Paul; DeVita, Paul
    National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is an international celebration of biomechanics that seeks to increase the awareness and appreciation of biomechanics among the high school community. Initial research supports the positive effects of NBD on students’ attitudes toward the field of biomechanics; however, quantitative evidence remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in high school students’ perceptions toward biomechanics after participating in NBD events to better understand the impact of NBD. Data were collected at two locations during the 2019 NBD season. Surveys were collected before and after NBD events for 112 high school students from Montana and North Carolina. Paired pre- versus post-NBD surveys for the aggregate sample population suggest that students perceived biomechanics as more appealing (p = 0.050), exciting (p = 0.007), and important (p = 0.018) following the NBD events. Students did not report a change in whether they could see themselves in a biomechanics-related career (p = 0.49). These findings further support the ability for NBD events to positively impact students’ perceptions toward biomechanics, although opportunities persist to increase student career interest in biomechanics. This paper presents and discusses the study’s results, interpretations, limitations, and implications for future research on biomechanics outreach activities.
Copyright (c) 2002-2022, LYRASIS. All rights reserved.