MECE 4333'01 Introduction to Computational Biomechanics

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MECE 4333.01Introduction to Computational
Biomechanics

• Bob Freeman
• Mechanical Engineering
• UT - Pan American
• 3/10/04

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Course Description

• This course is designed to provide an
  introduction to the study of Human Motion.
• The material is completely covered using HPL
  inspired VaNTH Modules.

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Course Objectives

• By the end of this course, students should
• have a basic understanding the musculoskeletal
  anatomy of the human upper and lower extremities
• be able to describe the functional anatomy of the
  upper and lower extremities, at least that
  associated with the specific motion tasks
  addressed by the covered modules
• be able to apply fundamental principles of
  Mechanics to the analysis and simulation of the
  human movement
• have an awareness of the wealth of materials
  available for the study of human motion and their
  location

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Modules

• Iron Cross 1 Challenge
• Initiated at Vanderbilt University (Roselli)
• Virtual Biomechanics Laboratory 3 Challenges
• Initiated at UT-Austin (Barr)
• Jumping Jack (JJ) 3 Challenges
• Initiated at UT-Austin (Pandy)
• Knee 2 Challenges
• Initiated at UT- Pan American (Freeman)
• To be used by Barr, Pandy, and Roselli

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Course Schedule
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Course Schedule, cont.
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Assessment Activities

• Module Activities/Homework (4
  modules x10 pts. per module 40 pts.)
• Four Post-Tests (10 pts. each)
• Three Presentations and accompanying Reports (10
  pts. each)

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Preliminary Results

• Class demographics
• 15 students
• 14 Hispanic 1 Anglo
• 10 Male 5 Female
• Effect Size Posttest versus Pretest
• Iron Cross
• EF ???
• VBL
• EF ???
• They are Learning
• Cultural implementation issues
• Are not self-directed
• Are used to community activities

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Research Opportunity

• Will compare with
• UT-Austin Mechanical Engr. Elective
• UT-Austin BME Required
• UTPA
• 15,000 students
• 26,000 in 2015
• 86 Hispanic
• 2nd largest in Hispanic enrollment
• 6th largest in Hispanic engineering
• 3000 students in Science Engineering
• 5000 in 2015
• 330 students in ME

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Implementation Issues

• Web sites not always accessible
• Download and save materials to a local site
  cant do for some materials
• Specialized hardware and software problematic
• Issues already addressed by VaNTH
• Solutions to assessment items need to be
  available
• Narrative discussing objectives and rationale for
  materials and their sequencing
• Project Profile
• Design Templates

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Cross Fertilization

• Dissemination is not a one-way street
• Users of a Module will develop additional
  materials for that module (also other textual
  references)
• IC
• VBL1, VBL2
• Users of Modules will develop additional modules
  to enhance coverage of domain
• Elbow (very similar to IC can use for adaptive
  expertise assessment)

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More General VaNTH Dissemination

• HPL incorporated into other courses and
  disciplines ME, EE, MANE
• VaNTH Project Manual Curriculum Development
  Projects
• Modular Design Template
• Design Teams (LS, AE, LT)
• VOS
• Project Profile
• Assessment Articles

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Questions?
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Additional Activities at UTPA

• A Planar Biomechanical Model-Based Control of a
  Human Leg
• To develop students understanding of the
  neuromuscular skeletal system from a control
  systems perspective using a simplified computer
  model of the human leg
• Dr. Mounir Ben Ghalia, Electrical Engineering
• Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Muscle Work Capacity
  Development and Retention Models
• To learn the concepts of energy expenditures
  during muscle work through aerobic and anaerobic
  combustion of nutrients as individual and
  combined sources of energy, and the physiological
  changes that take place during the use of muscles
• To learn the concepts of maximum work capacity
  for parts of the body that are generally used to
  perform static work
• Dr. Miguel A. Gonzalez, Manufacturing Engineering
  (Ergonomics)
• Materials Selection for Biological Systems
• To promote students understanding of the complex
  issues surrounding the application of engineering
  materials to biological systems
• To present a motivating challenge for the
  selection of materials for tissue repair in an
  alien creature with an extreme biology
• Dr. Robert Jones, Mechanical Engineering, and Dr.
  Mauli Agrawal (UTHSC-SA).