MRI: Acquisition of Instrumentation for Comparative Experimental Biomechanics Research

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。俄亥俄大学最近扩大了其研究和教育设施，以便对大型动物的运动动力学进行调查。该奖项将资助该新设施购置最先进的设备，并支持俄亥俄大学教师、附属研究人员、研究生和本科生的研究和教育活动。运动捕捉和分析系统将用于获取人体运动的高速图像。两个利用x射线的视频透视器将使研究人员能够可视化骨骼运动。当与动作捕捉系统硬件和软件一起使用时，这些x射线图像可以用来生成骨骼运动的三维电影。一个力板集成跑步机将用于记录在不同速度下与地面接触时产生的力。最后，压力板将提供脚部接触地面时压力分布的细节。此外，该奖项将通过博士后职位支持近期生物力学研究博士的持续培训和指导。使用该设备的个人将研究动物肌肉骨骼功能和运动的各个方面，特别强调喂养和运动。例如，喂养研究将评估不同动物的下颌运动如何协调，以指导牙齿接触和下颌关节的运动。运动研究将侧重于步态的起始和过渡以及足部接触压力，以了解在跑步，步行和小跑过程中肢体运动的变化。研究成果将包括增加对不同类型哺乳动物肌肉骨骼形式和功能的科学理解。运动和力量数据也将与相关肌肉和骨骼的解剖研究相结合，以开发肌肉骨骼进化模型。教育成果将包括对俄亥俄大学生物学和工程学本科生和研究生的培训，以了解最先进的肌肉骨骼生物力学技术。项目成果将通过科学出版物和简报以及通过在地方和区域场所进行公众宣传来传播。由于大多数设备将实现身体运动的动态可视化，这些研究的数据为公众参与运动科学提供了一个独特的机会。因此，pi还将从研究项目中制作视频和电脑动画，供公众上网使用。这些录像将通过警务处的个人网页以及设施网页向公众提供。这些影片对于针对俄亥俄州东南部农村地区当地公立学校学生的教育和推广活动将特别有用。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Ohio University has recently expanded its research and education facilities to allow investigations into the dynamics of movement in large animals. This award will fund the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment at this new facility and support the research and educational activities of faculty, affiliated researchers, graduate students and undergraduates at Ohio University. A motion capture and analysis system will be used to acquire high speed images of body movements. Two videofluoroscopes utilizing x-rays will enable researchers to visualize skeletal movements. When used with the motion capture system hardware and software, these x-ray images can be used to generate 3-dimensional movies of the skeletal movements. A force-plate integrated treadmill will be used to record the forces generated during ground contact at different speeds. Finally, a pressure plate will provide the details of the pressure distribution on the feet during contact with the ground. Additionally, this award will support the continued training and mentoring of a recent PhD in biomechanics research through a postdoctoral position. Individuals utilizing this equipment will study all aspects of musculoskeletal function and movement in animals, with a special emphasis on feeding and locomotion. Feeding studies will evaluate, for example, how jaw movements are coordinated in different animals to direct tooth contacts and motion at the jaw joint. Locomotion studies will focus on gait initiation and transitions and foot contact pressures across a range of speeds to understand how limb movements change during running, walking, and trotting. Research outcomes will include increased scientific understanding of the musculoskeletal form and function across different types of mammals. Movement and force data will also be integrated with anatomical studies of associated muscles and bones to develop models of musculoskeletal evolution. Educational outcomes will include the training of undergraduate and graduate biology and engineering students at Ohio University in the most advanced techniques for understanding musculoskeletal biomechanics. Project outcomes will be disseminated through scientific publications and presentations as well as through public outreach in local and regional venues. Because most of the equipment will enable dynamic visualization of movements of the body, data from these studies provide a unique opportunity to engage the public in the science of motion. Thus, PIs will also generate videos and computer animations from research projects for internet access by the public. These videos will be made available to the public through PIs individual webpages as well as through a facility webpage. These videos will be particularly useful for educational and outreach activities aimed at local public school students in rural southeast Ohio.