Matching Oars to Rowers. This project combines expert oar design, manufacture and advanced biomechanical analysis to produce new oar designs that match rowers? power generation characteristics with boat propulsion requirements. The outcome will be optimally configured oar designs that combine properties which maximise rowers? performance. The performance of the oar-rower combination will be race condition assessed, on-water, in a state-of-the-art measurement boat and an iterative process used to ....Matching Oars to Rowers. This project combines expert oar design, manufacture and advanced biomechanical analysis to produce new oar designs that match rowers? power generation characteristics with boat propulsion requirements. The outcome will be optimally configured oar designs that combine properties which maximise rowers? performance. The performance of the oar-rower combination will be race condition assessed, on-water, in a state-of-the-art measurement boat and an iterative process used to bring the oars to their final configurations. A range of specifications will result from matching the oar to different body types with emphasis on appropriate designs for women rowers.Read moreRead less
Bringing the boat into the lab: Rowing simulation. Rowing simulators are used for rowing training, rowing assessment and exercise. Their effectiveness for the first two depends on their exercise stimulus specificity to on-water rowing. Rowing simulators are also used in the fitness industry for exercise and in all applications the potential for injury should be minimised. This research will produce a "specification" of on-water rowing by characterising the magnitude and timing of the forces and ....Bringing the boat into the lab: Rowing simulation. Rowing simulators are used for rowing training, rowing assessment and exercise. Their effectiveness for the first two depends on their exercise stimulus specificity to on-water rowing. Rowing simulators are also used in the fitness industry for exercise and in all applications the potential for injury should be minimised. This research will produce a "specification" of on-water rowing by characterising the magnitude and timing of the forces and moments experienced on-water. Rowing simulator agreement with this specification will be tested, modifications suggested for their improvement, and one modified and retested. Simulator rowing will be computer-modelled and the potential for injury assessed.Read moreRead less
Passive mechanical properties of human muscles. Australia has a strong record in the discipline of biomechanics. The proposed studies will help maintain Australia's standing in the discipline. They will provide fundamental new data on the properties of human muscles and basic insights into muscle growth and adaptation. The data will be used to develop more refined biomechanical models than is currently possible. The studies will also provide training in world-leading research methods for two PhD ....Passive mechanical properties of human muscles. Australia has a strong record in the discipline of biomechanics. The proposed studies will help maintain Australia's standing in the discipline. They will provide fundamental new data on the properties of human muscles and basic insights into muscle growth and adaptation. The data will be used to develop more refined biomechanical models than is currently possible. The studies will also provide training in world-leading research methods for two PhD students and a research associate.Read moreRead less
Measuring large deformation tissue mechanical behaviour in living humans. This project aims to develop new in vivo imaging methods to characterise the nonlinear mechanical behaviour of soft biological tissues, and use them to measure the properties of muscle, liver and adipose tissue in human subjects. Comprehensively characterising the mechanical properties of an individual person’s body tissues in vivo is a long-standing challenge in biomechanics and biomedical engineering. These new methods a ....Measuring large deformation tissue mechanical behaviour in living humans. This project aims to develop new in vivo imaging methods to characterise the nonlinear mechanical behaviour of soft biological tissues, and use them to measure the properties of muscle, liver and adipose tissue in human subjects. Comprehensively characterising the mechanical properties of an individual person’s body tissues in vivo is a long-standing challenge in biomechanics and biomedical engineering. These new methods aim to overcome major imitations of current biomechanical imaging methods, and make new measurements of the nonlinear mechanical properties of muscle, liver and adipose tissues. These techniques may be useful for future diagnostic, biomechanics and mechanobiology applications.Read moreRead less
Intelligent training (iTraining) for the human Achilles tendon. The project aims to improve understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon plays a crucial role in human motor function and is also a structure that is commonly injured and notoriously difficult to treat. A major barrier to improving Achilles tendon function, preventing tendon injury and enhancing tendon repair is a poor understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon durin ....Intelligent training (iTraining) for the human Achilles tendon. The project aims to improve understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon plays a crucial role in human motor function and is also a structure that is commonly injured and notoriously difficult to treat. A major barrier to improving Achilles tendon function, preventing tendon injury and enhancing tendon repair is a poor understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon during training and rehabilitation. The project aims to develop a better understanding of the loading conditions that optimise tendon metabolism. Based on this, it then intends to develop new technologies to estimate the mechanical behaviour of the human Achilles tendon in real time based on integrated use of wearable technology, and new training guidelines that will optimise human tendon adaptation.Read moreRead less
Protecting Occupants in Vehicle Rollover Crashes. This project addresses a public health issue involving rollover crashes. It will help prevent 340 deaths, 6000 injuries and save $3.6 billion annually in Australia and many fold this number internationally. A dynamic rollover crashworthiness test protocol, that ensures efficient and economical vehicle rollover protection systems are designed and manufactured, will be provided to consumer and regulatory bodies to consider and implement. In additio ....Protecting Occupants in Vehicle Rollover Crashes. This project addresses a public health issue involving rollover crashes. It will help prevent 340 deaths, 6000 injuries and save $3.6 billion annually in Australia and many fold this number internationally. A dynamic rollover crashworthiness test protocol, that ensures efficient and economical vehicle rollover protection systems are designed and manufactured, will be provided to consumer and regulatory bodies to consider and implement. In addition, much needed Occupational Health & Safety information regarding vehicle rollover crashworthiness, which provide a safe work place environment for professional drivers and employees using vehicles, will be supplied to industry fleet managers, defence and emergency services.Read moreRead less
Biomechanics of the human spine measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Statistics show that 80% of the population suffer back pain at some time. However, because the spine is very complex our understanding of its mechanics and the causes of back pain are still limited. This project will investigate the anatomy and activity of the spinal muscles and the behaviour of the intervertebral disc in living subjects using innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. Significant outcomes will be ....Biomechanics of the human spine measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Statistics show that 80% of the population suffer back pain at some time. However, because the spine is very complex our understanding of its mechanics and the causes of back pain are still limited. This project will investigate the anatomy and activity of the spinal muscles and the behaviour of the intervertebral disc in living subjects using innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. Significant outcomes will be new definitive descriptions of the detailed anatomy of the spine and its mechanisms. This will enhance the accuracy and detail of models under development for predicting spinal function following disease, injury or surgical procedures.Read moreRead less
An autonomously controlled ankle exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation. This project addresses a critical problem in gait rehabilitation; predicting unstable locomotion and designing interventions to augment limb-joint function. The project will develop an autonomous ankle-foot assistive device to actively increase ground clearance when high-risk foot trajectory is detected. Using wearable sensor data, machine learning algorithms will predict high-risk gait and compute an actuator-induced ankle to ....An autonomously controlled ankle exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation. This project addresses a critical problem in gait rehabilitation; predicting unstable locomotion and designing interventions to augment limb-joint function. The project will develop an autonomous ankle-foot assistive device to actively increase ground clearance when high-risk foot trajectory is detected. Using wearable sensor data, machine learning algorithms will predict high-risk gait and compute an actuator-induced ankle torque to maintain safe foot-ground clearance. A wearable autonomous joint-actuation system will contribute significantly to rehabilitation across a range of gait-impaired populations. The project's scientific and technological innovations will provide the opportunity for future developments in assistive technologies. Read moreRead less
Evaluating the impact of obesity on knee load over time in those who have undergone optimal surgical re-alignment after total knee replacement . This project investigates the impact of obesity on alignment and knee load over time in those who have undergone total knee replacement. This information is critical for understanding whether obesity results in increasing knee load after surgery which can lead to more rapid wearing of the knee surfaces and an earlier need for revision surgery.
Theoretical and experimental studies on magnetoelectroelastic bone remodelling process. The project combines biotechnology and material science which will have national economic, social and environment impact. It can benefit industry by providing knowledge that help scientists understand remodeling under coupled fields and is used to develop bone replacement. By better understanding remodeling due to multi-field loading, we can assist scientists in aeronautical industry in developing countermeas ....Theoretical and experimental studies on magnetoelectroelastic bone remodelling process. The project combines biotechnology and material science which will have national economic, social and environment impact. It can benefit industry by providing knowledge that help scientists understand remodeling under coupled fields and is used to develop bone replacement. By better understanding remodeling due to multi-field loading, we can assist scientists in aeronautical industry in developing countermeasures that reduce or eliminate bone loss resulting from long-duration space flight. It can provide knowledge that can be used to explore underlying mechanisms controlling bone remodeling and self-repair in gaining insight into debilitating diseases such as osteoporosis, to develop high-performance prosthetics for medical injury healing.Read moreRead less