Professor Richard Neptune, UT Austin Mechanical Engineering

Title: Neuromechanical assessment of balance control mechanisms during human movement

The human neuromusculoskeletal system is exceedingly complex due
to highly nonlinear multi-body dynamics and musculotendon
actuators, and redundant muscle control that isn’t well understood.
As a result, gaining insight into normal and pathological movement
remains a challenge due to the extremely difficult task of identifying
causal relationships between muscle force development and resulting
movement dynamics. This talk will discuss how we are using
experimental and modeling and simulation techniques to gain insight
into the biomechanics and neuromotor control of human movement
with the goal to improve rehabilitation outcomes for those with
movement disabilities. Specifically, we will look at how biomechanical
analyses can give insight into balance control mechanisms to help
guide the development of rehabilitation interventions.