Abstract:
The body interacts mechanically with its environment every time we walk, run, participate in sport, or perform work activities. These interactions may include reaction forces between the ground and our feet, downwards acceleration due to gravity and drag forces from water - such as during swimming. An improved understanding of the relationship between body movement and external body forces can provide insight into the internal forces and torques experienced during activity. These can assist in determining strategies for reducing injury risk and improving performance outcomes. Experimental approaches have been typically limited to the laboratory and to external measurements, except when invasive procedures have been used. They have been limited in application to relatively small datasets due to the number of manual tasks required to capture and process data. However, recent advances in the areas of computer vision and biomechanics have enabled the development of fully non-invasive and continuous systems for measuring body motion. This enables advanced calculation of transient body loading using simulation in internal distribution of these loads. These types of information are then used to identify opportunities for improving work, sports or general health outcomes. Here we describe an analysis and simulation pipeline that comprises such markerless motion capture, biomechanical modelling of the body, and coupled particle-based modelling of the environment. Example applications are described, including elite swimming, diving, skiing and an example of manual handling in occupational injury scenarios. The design of software products based upon the workflow pipeline (implemented in the Workspace platform) is also discussed. Future challenges and extensions are explored. Β© 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
