The Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Southeastern is proud to announce the opening of its state-of-the-art Biomechanics and Motor Behavior Lab.
Boasting two three-dimensional optical motion capture systems, three mounted force plates seamlessly embedded within a platform walkway, and a wireless electromyography system, the lab emerges as a hub of advanced technology and the best in the state. The motion capture systems allow for the tracking of major segments and joints of the body, providing for a thorough description of practically any movement performed. The force plates provide even more information regarding the forces acting on the body to cause its motion. Finally, the electromyography system measures the activity of select muscles during movement. Through the seamless integration of these state-of-the-art tools, the lab is capable of conducting detailed and comprehensive analyses of human movement to help our understanding of human motion across diverse fields—from enhancing sports performance to advancing clinical rehabilitation.
Much of the new lab equipment was funded through a Board of Regents grant and a Southeastern Student Technology Fee Matching Funds grant, which were obtained during the 2021-2022 academic year under the lead of Dr. Brandi Decoux and assisted by Dr. Ryan Green, Dr. Charity Bryan, Chad Dufrene, and Dr. Daniel Hollander. The equipment funded by these grants includes two large force plates and a virtually weatherproof optical motion capture system capable of being used outdoors, all of which provide a means of analyzing human movement in a variety of settings using technology that is consistent with what is used by clinicians, practitioners, and researchers in the students’ future careers fields. The Southeastern Student Technology fee also helped to fund the raised flooring platform in which the force plates are embedded, flush with the flooring surface, to create an over-ground walkway.
Much of the lab renovation came as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida during the Fall 2021 semester. The Kinesiology and Health Studies (KHS) Building was one of the facilities on campus that was most impacted by Hurricane Ida. A leak in the roof proved to be costly for Room 150 of the KHS Building, which was where all of the biomechanics equipment was housed. Due to rainwater that had collected on and below the then wooden floor, and the excessively high humidity that ensued in that room, very little equipment was salvageable. As a result, the motion capture and electromyography systems were unusable and needed to be replaced. Following all of the damage, though, came the rebirth of a high-value research and learning space for Kinesiology and Health Studies students and faculty to study and analyze how the body moves.
Prior to the acquisition of the new technology described above, lab experiences for students were limited. For example, Dr. Decoux’s past graduate Biomechanics class had to rely solely on video-based movement analysis software to carry out their projects. While this technology is still valuable as a lost-cost motion analysis option, the amount of precision and the level of accuracy afforded by video-based analyses is incomparable to what is offered by more advanced motion capture technologies like the systems now found in the BMB Lab. Dr. Decoux’s current graduate students were able to start the semester with a project using the video-based movement analysis software and then complete a project with the BMB Lab’s new motion capture technology. This enabled the students to spend more time learning how to analyze and interpret the data collected with the optical motion capture systems as opposed to devoting many hours to the rather slow process of extracting data from videos.
To celebrate the new Biomechanics and Motor Behavior Lab, the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies is hosting a Grand Opening event at the lab (KHS Building, Room 150) on Wednesday, April 24, with a ribbon cutting ceremony taking place at 11:00 am. Dr. Decoux will be present before and after the ribbon cutting ceremony to speak to anyone with questions about the lab. Posters of students’ projects from Dr. Decoux’s graduate biomechanics class will be on display in the lab for visitors to see.
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