LEARNING OUTCOMES

L'insegnamento presenta le tecnologie, i metodi analitici, gli approcci modellistici per l'analisi e la quantificazione del movimento umano e dei suoi correlati neurali. Argomenti specifici includono analisi tridimensionale dei movimenti, la meccanica muscolare e corporea, la fisiologia e i segnali fisiologici nel controllo motorio, la modellistica del controllo motorio.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course the students will be able to record and analyse human movements (kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity) and describe the underlying control, using the appropriate devices, and analytical and modeling tools.

PREREQUISITES

There are no formal prerequisites, but students are expected to know mechanics, geometry, calculus and signal analysis. 

TEACHING METHODS

The course combines lectures, guided experimental sessions, and analysis of movement data.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

A. Human movement (wk 1-2). Levels of description of movement: kinematic, kinetic, muscle mechanics, physiology. Terminology for describing human movements (limb movements, hand movements including manipulation). Reminder of neuroanatomy of the sensorimotor system. 

B. Motion capture technologies (wk 3-4). Introduction to projective geometry.Stereophotogrammetry. Inertial measurement units.  Analysis of movement kinematics.

C. Muscle mechanics and control (wk 5-6). Reminder of muscle physiology. Fiber types: intrafusal, extrafusal.  Hill’s model of muscle force generation. Muscles and contraction types. Motor units and size principle. Electromyography: surface vs intramuscular. Analysis of EMG signals. 

D. Single-joint and Multi-joint neuromechanics (wk 7-8). Rigid body mechanics: Newton-Euler and Lagrange Methods. Multi-joint movement statics. The redundancy problem. Dynamics: equations of motion of kinematic chains. Mechanical impedance and its measure.  Dynamometry.

E. Biomechanics of locomotion (wk 9-10). Gait kinematics and kinetics. Running, cycling, swimming.

Computational motor control (wk 11-12). Historical overview. Movement psycho-physics. Multi-sensory and sensorimotor integration. Optimality in motor control. Joint action.  Motor learning.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Uchida TK, Delp SL (2021) Biomechanics of Movement. MIT Press.