Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The purpose of this proposal is to request new state-of-the-art equipment that can effectively support the current NSERC Wearable Technology Research and Collaboration (We-TRAC) CREATE training program. One of the primary We-TRAC research goals is to predict joint and tissue kinetics using only surrogate wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors during real-world data collections. Only an integrated and synchronized motion capture (MoCap) and IMU system will provide the We-TRAC HQP the unique opportunity to develop and validate real-time and real-world wireless IMU measurements in- and out-side of the laboratory. *Outside of the laboratory, We-TRAC HQP will be collecting year-round IMU data from Olympic and UofC varsity and intramural athletes during practice and game situations. The specific experiments planned involve athletic movement tasks such as, but not limited to, basketball lay-ups, volleyball jump landings, cutting maneuvers, uphill and downhill treadmill running and also involving different terrains (basketball court, grass, running track), speeds, and conditions (walk vs run vs stairs vs jumping). These experiments will be conducted both in- and outside the laboratory in order to develop validated surrogate models of tissue and joint loading. *However, the We-TRAC program currently faces four significant limitations: (1) we do not have enough IMUs to support the data collection goals, (2) our current MoCap systems are made by different manufacturers and the kinematic data are not compatible, (3) both MoCap systems are obsolete and in a state of disrepair, and (4) our current IMU and MoCap systems require an archaic and cumbersome synchronization method. Moreover, neither the current Vicon or Motion Analysis MoCap cameras can collect data outside the laboratory setting.*Thus, it is critical that we obtain new equipment in order to provide the flexibility in MoCap camera and IMU configuration during these biomechanical data collections and support the NSERC We-TRAC CREATE training program. This equipment will be the most advanced and the ONLY fully integrated MoCap-IMU biomechanics lab in Canada. *The requested MoCap+IMU system aligns perfectly with ongoing research interests in the HPL, supports the newly awarded We-TRAC CREATE program HQP, and directly aligns with the University of Calgary's Eyes High Strategic Research Plan focused on Engineering Solutions for Health. We-TRAC HQP will have unique opportunities, not available anywhere else in Canada, for 1-4 month practicum placements with leading wearable sensor companies (i.e. Fitbit, Garmin, Adidas, etc). The proposed equipment will help to ensure the continued success and internationally-recognized research of the applicants and the entire We-TRAC research group, allowing the next generation of young scientists a chance to ask new and important NSE questions, and provide a competitive advantage for their future careers. *