In landings from a flight phase the mass centre of an athlete experiences rapid decelerations. This study investigated the extent to which co-contraction is beneficial or necessary in drop landings, using both experimental data and computer simulations. High speed video and force recordings were made of an elite martial artist performing drop landings onto a force plate from heights of 1.2, 1.5...

We understand little about how animals adjust locomotor behaviour to negotiate uneven terrain. The mechanical demands and constraints of such behaviours likely differ from uniform terrain locomotion. Here we investigated how common pheasants negotiate visible obstacles with heights from 10 to 50% of leg length. Our goal was to determine the neuro-mechanical strategies used to achieve robust sta...

Older adults are more likely than young to fall upon a loss of balance, yet the factors responsible for this difference are not well understood. This study investigated whether age-related differences in movement stability, limb support, and protective stepping contribute to the greater likelihood of falling among older adults. Sixty young and 41 older, safety-harnessed, healthy adults were exp...

Unilateral peripheral vestibular disorder (UPVD) causes deficient locomotor responses to novel environments due to a lack of accurate vestibular sensory information, increasing fall risk. This study aimed to examine recovery response (stability recovery actions) and adaptive feedback potential in dynamic stability of UPVD-patients and healthy control subjects during perturbed walking. 17 UPVD-p...

It is known that humans intentionally choose skipping in special situations, e.g. when descending stairs or when moving in environments with lower gravity than on Earth. Although those situations involve uneven locomotion, the dynamics of human skipping on uneven ground have not yet been addressed. To find the reasons that may motivate this gait, we combined experimental data on humans with num...

Finite time singularity formation in a fourth order nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) is analyzed. The PDE is a variant of a ubiquitous model found in the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and is studied on a one-dimensional (1D) strip and the unit disc. The solution itself remains continuous at the point of singularity while its higher derivatives diverge, a ...

Selected kinematic variables in the performance of the Gold and Silver medalists and the eighth-place finisher in the men's 200-meter sprint final at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games were investigated. Cinematographic records were obtained for all track running events at the Games, with the 200-meter performers singled out for initial analysis. In this race, sagittal view filming records (100 fps)...

Abstract The dynamics of interfaces in slow diffusion equations with strong absorption are studied. Asymptotic methods used to give descriptions the behaviour local a comprehensive range possible singular events that can occur any evolution. These are: when an interface changes its direction propagation (reversing and anti-reversing), detaches from absorbing obstacle (detaching), two formed by ...

This paper presents a novel multi-sensor information fusion methodology for landing hazard assessment and avoidance. The focus of this research is to analyze hazard characteristics of a planetary surface using imagery data obtained in real-time during spacecraft orbit, descent, or landing. This information is used to enable a spacecraft to safely touchdown on a planetary surface during mission ...

Ankle sprains are a common injury and those affected are at a risk of developing chronic ankle instability (CAI). Complications of an acute sprain include increased risk of re-injury and persistent disability; however, the exact link between ankle sprains and chronic instability has yet to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate neuromuscular control (including kinematics, k...