Development of new biomechanical feedback tools for improving human motor skill learning and training

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We are interested in developing new tools for understanding of fundamental processes in humans and modulating various human movements, ranging from daily activities to specialized sport and music skills. Our ultimate goal is to use such technology and knowledge to improve how we move. Learning how to move is a challenging task. Even the most basic skill of walking requires years to develop and can quickly deteriorate with age and sedentary lifestyles. Age-related falls are the cause of 70% of accidental deaths in people 75 years and older and is the leading (74%) cause of hospitalization for seniors. More specialized skills such as violin playing and soccer kicking require "talent" and years of extensive practice to fully master. These practices can easily cause career-ending vocational diseases if conducted improperly. Our research group uses the science of biomechanics and state-of-the-art motion analysis technologies to determine which muscle movements are critical for successful skill development and which expose us to vocational disease development. In this fashion, we are able to unlock some of the secrets of talented musicians and athletes and scientifically inform music pedagogy and sports coaching, while preventing the occupational disease to occur. This particular proposal aims to develop new biomechanical tools to provide real-time feedback on how well we move. Just as heart monitors allow us to study and treat heart conditions, these biomechanical feedback tools are needed to understand and improve the training of various human motor skills. A meta-theme of the work is knowledge transfer. The proposed developments build upon the PI’s results in the fields of biomechanics, ergonomics, motor learning, and compensatory behavior of human performances and, as such, the proposed projects connect researchers, educators and practitioners to collectively improve the physical and artistic learning of our society as a whole.