Video Archive 2017-2019
Kids with Autism Develop Life Skills Through Dance at UD
Here in the United States, about one in 59 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A dance study at the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences is focused on developing social communication skills, motor skills and behavior in children with autism. The study is through the Move to Learn Innovation Lab at UD’s STAR Campus, where students under the direction of Dr. Anjana Bhat work with kids for 16 weeks of music, dancing and fun.
Read the New York Times article here.
UD Study Focuses on Strengthening Youth Players’ Heading Technique
A study at the University of Delaware is focused on teaching proper heading technique – along with neck and torso strengthening – to youth soccer players with the goal of decreasing risk of concussions. Tom Kaminski, director of Athletic Training education at UD, and Ph.D. student Victoria Wahlquist check on players throughout the season at practices and games to see how much they’re heading the ball and how heading is being coached.
The Brain Injury Association of Delaware offers grants through BrainStrong, a program to support the prevention of youth concussions. $2,500 in grant funds have enabled UD researchers to do significant pilot projects that are producing useful data for larger study.
Motion Capture used to Design Sports Bra to Reduce Breast Bounce
A unique marker setup was created for sports bras with the intention of tracking breast motion during activity. The University of Delaware College of Health Sciences has been testing sports bras using motion capture data to analyze breast motion with the hopes of creating a sports bra to reduce bounce that can lead to back pain, shoulder pain and other women’s health issues.
Kicking Virtual Field Goals in UD’s VR Cave
The virtual reality cave in the University of Delaware’s College of Health Sciences is most often used for research, studying how people maintain balance during walking and for rehab interventions. In the spirit of #MotionCaptureMonday, the team designed a Blue Hen field with a football that reacts to a kicker’s actions.
U.S. Figure Skaters undergo UD Biomechanics Testing
For years, U.S. Figure Skating has been sending athletes to the University of Delaware ice rink to analyze the biomechanics of their technique on the ice. The team of UD students, led by biomechanics professor James Richards, analyzes the data and offers immediate feedback to the skaters and their coaches on what’s needed to perfect their positioning in the air, increasing the probably of landing their jumps.
Figure Skaters Look for Competitive Edge in Biomechanics Analysis at UD
More than 60 figure skaters – including many of the United States’ top competitors – have made their way to the University of Delaware’s ice rinks over the past decade. Prompted by the U.S. Figure Skating Association and their coaches, they hope to find a competitive edge in the unique biomechanical analysis done by Jim Richards, distinguished professor of kinesiology and applied physiology in the College of Health Sciences.
UD Builds Virtual Reality Cave for Balance Control Testing
A virtual reality cave was installed in the fall of 2017 at the University of Delaware’s STAR Health Sciences Complex. John Jeka, who chairs the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, and his research team investigates how the nervous system uses sensory information (vision, inner ear) to estimate body dynamics and guide motor processes for upright balance control. The applied goal is to better understand patient populations with neurological disease and injury that lead to balance problems. In the lab, individuals stand or walk in a room-sized virtual reality cave, which allows precise control of the visual surround along with input from vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile sensory systems.
Pitching’s Effects on Shoulders, Elbows of High School Players
Biomechanics and movement science PhD student Aaron Struminger tests the effect of pitching on the shoulder and elbow of youth athletes. Learn how the arm muscles, ligaments and bone adapt to throwing by studying ultrasound and motion capture data.
Motion Capture Used to Enhance Thai Boxing Movements
Childhood Kung Fu lessons really stuck with Physical Therapist Annalisa Na, as she began to seek out new ways to stay active while getting her Ph.D. in biomechanics and movement science at the University of Delaware. For #MotionCaptureMonday, she shares her new passion for Thai boxing and how motion capture helps make her an effective fighter with more optimal movements.
Slips, Trips Mimicked in Lab to Prevent Injury
A treadmill system, harness and motion capture technology are used in the STAR Health Sciences Complex to safely mimic slips and trips, like those on ice, to learn how to better stabilize your body and prevent harm during falls.
Studying Repetitive Head Impacts, Concussions in Ice Hockey Players
Among collegiate athletes, ice hockey players have a higher concussion exposure rate than football players. University of Delaware PhD and post-doctoral students in Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, and Biomechanics and Movement Science are studying the role of repetitive head impacts through an ice hockey season, by monitoring gait and balance, and tracking sub-concussive hits via helmet telemetry devices worn through practices and home games.
Celebrating Chinese New Year with Kung Fu Motion Capture
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, we bring you Hung Gar Kung Fu for #MotionCaptureMonday! Physical therapist and Ph.D. student Annalisa Na studied the art as a young girl and participating in the lion dance for Chinese New Year was a dream come true.
Measuring Head Impact in Football
Whether you’re playing in the big game or at the Pop Warner level, player safety is essential in football. Melissa DiFabio shows off the Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) System used to measure forces behind a hit for #MotionCaptureMonday.
Super Suits — William’s Robot Shirt
William was born with arthrogryposis, congenital joint contractures and weakness that limit his movement. So Michele Lobo and the Super Suits Program are creating a user-controlled, air-filled, exoskeletal garment specially designed to improve his mobility.