Human Movement Analysis (HuMAn) Research Group

The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of PDAFO use on both a non-injured and patient population within the UK military. This series of studies will include an RCT comparing PDAFOs to an alternate orthosis as well as capturing long term use biomechanics and bone mineral density data. This knowledge base will allow better informed clinical prescriptions of this orthosis type.

This project aims to develop pit stop analysis system to identify biomechanical and physical characterises of pit crew athlete and their relationship to pit stop performance. The knowledge gained by this research could lead improvements in motorsport performance analysis and tailored training practices for the pit stop athlete.

This project aims to understand the user groups needs and investigate the performance of current products. This should provide recommendations to improve future products to ensure the user groups needs are met and to minimise the barriers pregnant and post-partum women face towards being physically active.

This project aims to develop and apply a forward-dynamics simulation model to investigate the effect of prosthetic shape and stiffness on the biomechanics of lower limb amputees. This understanding could provide more tailored and appropriate prosthetic prescription and subsequently improve the health and well-being of users of prostheses.

This project aims to develop our understanding of how minimalist footwear and textured or supportive insoles effect static and dynamic stability across young, middle and older aged adults. No research has previously assessed the effect of these footwear/insole technologies in combination across such a large age range. This work may inform footwear choice in adults to improve their balance and activities of daily life.

This project aims to investigate suitable methodologies to accurately discriminate between the dynamic balance abilities of golfers during golf strokes. This could enable an evaluation for the effectiveness of interventions, such as exercise or insoles, to provide better understanding of how they can aid golf performance.

This project aims to understand current training practices in elite field hockey, and how these can be improved to better reflect match demands, and reduce the risk of injury, using global positioning systems. This project will also be one of the first to determine match demands within indoor hockey using a local positioning system.

This project aims to investigate the biomechanical demands of deceleration within netball. This may be an isolated action, proceeding a change of direction, or involve a secondary task. This information could provide key insights for athletes, coaches and practitioners to effectively modify training for injury risk and performance.

This project aims to develop a multidimensional, user-centred monitoring system using sensor data to assess and track physical, psychological, and social aspects of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) in older adults, improving health outcomes and promoting independent living. This system could provide more tailored support for older adults living at home, allowing them to safely live independently for as long as possible.

This project aims to investigate how sedentary behaviour associated with less active lifestyles affects foot muscle strength, balance and fall risk in older adults. The findings aim to inform the development of targeted interventions to better support less active older adults and improve their quality of life.