Research
The related course for this Research category is EXSC 417W Biomechanics, which teaches about the application of physical laws and mechanical principles as they relate to the human musculoskeletal system. The course agenda requires a thorough understanding of these concepts to effectively apply in terms of human movement.
An integral part of the course is the laboratory section, where the lessons learned in lecture are implemented by observing actual human movements and analyzing them in appropriate biomechanical terminology and approaches such as established human body statistics and how kinematic and kinetic equations relate to anatomical parts. Proper data collection and analysis are thus necessarily conducted, so in addition to the understanding of mechanisms of the body, knowledge of proper conventions for setting up the subject and environment of interest (e.g. identification and palpation of bony landmarks, correct camera specifications and placement, etc.) for obtaining valid results is regularly tested. Each laboratory assignment ultimately asks the student to make conclusions on the information and analysis gained and how they can be practically applied into real-world human musculoskeletal problems and practices.
This PDF file was a supplement for one of our lab assignments on angular kinematics. It shows screenshots from a video recording of three trials of traditional and diamond push-ups as observed in the sagittal plane. Using the Hudl app, the joint angles were measured to determine the ranges of motion for each movement.
This is another lab assignment which is about forces acting on the body during movement. Specifically, the vertical ground reaction forces acting on the foot were calculated by applying Newton's second and third laws using the position of the greater trochanter during the squat and the time taken to perform the squat.
Another significant part of the course is the collaborative writing assignment where groups of students produce a research report and presentation regarding an approved specific topic, which allows the students to delve beyond the topics covered in the class agenda for a beneficial exposure to a more specialized area of biomechanics. My group's topic will investigate the effects of squat style, stance, and depth on lower limb biomechanics.
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Overall, this course enables me to exercise several research skills such as data collection, analysis, and relating technical concepts into real-world scenarios. I become more sophisticated in designing an experiment and gathering the related established information which would appropriately answer an existing question. I also learn the proper conventions of the field, which is necessary for communicating newfound information to others. This experience ultimately provides me training for my future career as a biomedical engineer because in addition to the discussion and application of biomechanics concepts, I am also able to build intuition with regards to human body movements and how they are appropriately analyzed mechanically.