Stabilometry profile in fixed seat rowers

Balance in rowing boats is crucial for experienced and non-experienced rowers, allowing them to keep their blades off the water and keep the boat from rolling that requires rowers to contract muscles to even out the boat and to stabilize their bodies. The purpose of this study was to create reference stabilometric values in fixed seat rowing and compare them between male and female rowers in different sensorial conditions with eyes open and closed. Fifteen subjects voluntarily participated in this study, six male rowers and nine female rowers from University of Alicante fixed seat rowing team, all belonging to the senior category. A FreeMed baropodometric platform (Rome, Italy) was used for the stabilometric measurements: (TE) total excursion of the CoP, (CEA) area of the 95 % confidence ellipse, (MV) mean velocity, (MDx) mediolateral direction, (MDy) anteroposterior direction, (RMSx) amplitude in mediolateral direction and (RMSy) amplitude in anteroposterior direction. Results indicate that male rowers had greater ability to maintain balance than female rowers in bipodal stance with eyes open and closed. Female rowers demonstrated more ability to preserve sitting position than male rowers with eyes open and closed. However, there was no clear trend in relation to a greater balance between male and female in monopodal stance

Simulation of the Effects of Wind on the Dragon Kayakers in Competition

This project applies an understanding of fluid mechanics to study the effects of wind on kayakers in competition using computational fluid dynamic software. A multiphase model was created on ANSYS Fluent to simulate the flow conditions and find the drag outputs. The model includes two inlets, to allow for separate air and water velocities, and uses a volume of fluid multiphase system with an SSTk−ωturbulence model. Kayaker velocities from 1-7m/s are combined with relative head winds from 1-10m/s to determine the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic drag due to windy conditions. The wind stress on the water’s surface is also simulated through small waves included in the boundary conditions. The results found an exponential increase of drag of approximately DF= 2.15~V2−6.47~V+ 5.43 as a function of velocity in static air conditions. For a kayaker at racing pace facing a maximum 10m/s headwind, the results show a drag increase of approximately5%, decreasing as kayak velocity increased. The largest components of drag for a kayaker are the hydrodynamic skin friction and wave drag, hence the low air drag percentage was expected relative to the dominant hydrodynamic drag. The drag due to small waves on the water’s surface was found to range from 5-6% at race pace, and was considered to have the larger effect on competitors, as wind speeds from 8-10m/s are very high and unlikely during competition. The model was used to compare the drag of common racing strategies, and findings suggests that an even-pacing requires less energy than the commonplace ‘reverse J’ strategy. There were some limitations to the research project involving software and time constraints, and further work recommendations are made in the report which suggest refinements and future applications of the model

Biomechanical Spectrum of Human Sport Performance

Writing or managing a scientific book, as it is known today, depends on a series of major activities, such as regrouping researchers, reviewing chapters, informing and exchanging with contributors, and at the very least, motivating them to achieve the objective of publication. The idea of this book arose from many years of work in biomechanics, health disease, and rehabilitation. Through exchanges with authors from several countries, we learned much from each other, and we decided with the publisher to transfer this knowledge to readers interested in the current understanding of the impact of biomechanics in the analysis of movement and its optimization. The main objective is to provide some interesting articles that show the scope of biomechanical analysis and technologies in human behavior tasks. Engineers, researchers, and students from biomedical engineering and health sciences, as well as industrial professionals, can benefit from this compendium of knowledge about biomechanics applied to the human body

Displaced

Displaced is an MQP in which we designed and implemented a story-driven game with stealth and survival elements, using the Unreal 4 Engine, through the perspective of a refugee child. The technical focus of this project was to implement an advanced AI and core mechanics such as inventory and checkpoint systems to create a refined and enjoyable experience, while informing the player of the refugee crisis. The art style we chose was photorealistic with classical music as an ambient background.ph

MODELING OF INNOVATIVE LIGHTER-THAN-AIR UAV FOR LOGISTICS, SURVEILLANCE AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft that can operate without the presence of pilots, either through remote control or automated systems. The first part of the dissertation provides an overview of the various types of UAVs and their design features. The second section delves into specific experiences using UAVs as part of an automated monitoring system to identify potential problems such as pipeline leaks or equipment damage by conducting airborne surveys.Lighter-than-air UAVs, such as airships, can be used for various applications, from aerial photography, including surveying terrain, monitoring an area for security purposes and gathering information about weather patterns to surveillance. The third part reveals the applications of UAVs for assisting in search and rescue operations in disaster situations and transporting natural gas. Using PowerSim software, a model of airship behaviour was created to analyze the sprint-and-drift concept and study methods of increasing the operational time of airships while having a lower environmental impact when compared to a constantly switched-on engine. The analysis provided a reliable percentage of finding the victim during patrolling operations, although it did not account for victim behaviour. The study has also shown that airships may serve as a viable alternative to pipeline transportation for natural gas. The technology has the potential to revolutionize natural gas transportation, optimizing efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Additionally, airships have a unique advantage in accessing remote and otherwise inaccessible areas, providing significant benefits in the energy sector. The employment of this technology was studied to be effective in specific scenarios, and it will be worth continuing to study it for a positive impact on society and the environment

The Relativity of Existence

Despite the success of modern physics in formulating mathematical theories that can predict the outcome of experiments, we have made remarkably little progress towards answering the most fundamental question of: why is there a universe at all, as opposed to nothingness? In this paper, it is shown that this seemingly mind-boggling question has a simple logical answer if we accept that existence in the universe is nothing more than mathematical existence relative to the axioms of our universe. This premise is not baseless; it is shown here that there are indeed several independent strong logical arguments for why we should believe that mathematical existence is the only kind of existence. Moreover, it is shown that, under this premise, the answers to many other puzzling questions about our universe come almost immediately. Among these questions are: why is the universe apparently fine-tuned to be able to support life? Why are the laws of physics so elegant? Why do we have three dimensions of space and one of time, with approximate locality and causality at macroscopic scales? How can the universe be non-local and non-causal at the quantum scale? How can the laws of quantum mechanics rely on true randomness

Revealing complexities within flat-water kayaking: injury prevention and biomechanical analysis

Includes bibliographical referencesElite kayakers are required to perform repetitive movements that create strength and flexibility asymmetries in their bodies, making them susceptible to injury. The first portion of this thesis is dedicated to investigating whether a supervised, corrective pre-habilitation programme of the kinetic chain, conducted twice a week for 10 weeks, would reduce these predisposing factors. A group of 19 marathon paddlers were assessed before and after the intervention, with nine of them receiving the intervention. The 10-week intervention programme was found to significantly improve scapular position and kinesis, thoracic spine extension and single arm pulling ability, thus suggesting improved shoulder function and reduced risk of injury. The second portion of the thesis involved novel biomechanical analysis of kayaking on the water and on a kayaking-ergometer. It is the first objective description of the three dimensional movements of the kayak in the literature. Sprint and marathon paddlers performed a 180 metre time trial using an instrumented paddle with an accelerometer and gyroscope attached to the boat for analysis of boat movement characteristics and paddler-generated forces. Similar patterns for paddle torque, boat acceleration and pitch were observed between male sprint paddlers and male marathon paddlers. However, the direction and timing of the roll and the yaw of the boat during the water phase of the kayak stroke differed between these groups of paddlers. In addition, substantial individual variation existed within the group of male marathon paddlers. On the kayaking ergometer, activation patterns of the trunk and pelvic muscles were measured using electromyography during a maximal 200 metre time trial. Gluteus medius, lower trapezius and erector spinae were measured for the first time in maximal kayaking. The latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major and external oblique muscles were more active during the contralateral phase than has previously been reported. When these paddlers performed a single arm pull test on the same day, the muscle activation patterns changed, and muscle groups were active according to their anatomical function and what has previously been described. First, variation of movement, flexibility and segmental training of the kinetic chain may be advantageous when incorporated with kayaking training to prevent shoulder injury risk factors in paddlers. Second, individual evaluation of three-dimensional boat kinematics and muscle recruitment timing provides objective insight into an individual's kayak technique, with potential benefits for improving technical performance and mechanical efficiency

Final Report: Investigation into the Loss of the H.L. Hunley

The H.L. Hunley carried out the first successful submarine attack in history. However after a successful attack, the submarine disappeared with little evidence has to how it happened. This report documents work on two ONR grants exploring the naval architecture of the submarine. This work was conducted to support high-fidelity underwater explosion modeling of the attack at NSWCCD (not discussed here), but also sheds new light on the final mission and circumstances of the vessel’s loss. The vessel’s hullform, weights, stability are all discussed, along with model test for the vessel’s resistance and potential flooding rates. While the investigation did not reach a firm conclusion the cause of the loss, the results further illuminate the operation of vessel and avenues for further technical study.Office of Naval Research, Code 331https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142864/1/2017-001_final_complete.pdfDescription of 2017-001_final_complete.pdf : Repor

Shape, Space and Typeface: Mapping Black Subjectivity through Caribbean Aesthetics

The Caribbean is frequently imagined and aestheticized by the image of the basin, which limits the way the region is confined in geographic and historic terms. By conceptualizing the poets as mapmakers, the collections by Kei Miller, Olive Senior, and M. NourbeSe Phillip reference the container of the basin but remediate it in poetic terms. The movement towards a distinctive lack of containment illustrates the dynamic literary and geographical operations of the Caribbean, linking typography and topography. Reading with a new lens, including digital resources that re-spatialize these poems, demonstrates the complexities that characterize the formation of these texts and how they resist neat containers and containment, thereby charting new ways to redraw and reimagine places and spaces

Muscle activation patterns in shoulder impingement patients

Introduction: Shoulder impingement is one of the most common presentations of shoulder joint problems 1. It appears to be caused by a reduction in the sub-acromial space as the humerus abducts between 60o -120o – the 'painful arc'. Structures between the humeral head and the acromion are thus pinched causing pain and further pathology 2. Shoulder muscle activity can influence this joint space but it is unclear whether this is a cause or effect in impingement patients. This study aimed to observe muscle activation patterns in normal and impingement shoulder patients and determine if there were any significant differences. Method: 19 adult subjects were asked to perform shoulder abduction in their symptomatic arm and non-symptomatic. 10 of these subjects (age 47.9 ± 11.2) were screened for shoulder impingement, and 9 subjects (age 38.9 ± 14.3) had no history of shoulder pathology. Surface EMG was used to collect data for 6 shoulder muscles (Upper, middle and lower trapezius, serratus anterior, infraspinatus, middle deltoids) which was then filtered and fully rectified. Subjects performed 3 smooth unilateral abduction movements at a cadence of 16 beats of a metronome set at 60bpm, and the mean of their results was recorded. T-tests were used to indicate any statistical significance in the data sets. Significance was set at P<0.05. Results: There was a significant difference in muscle activation with serratus anterior in particular showing a very low level of activation throughout the range when compared to normal shoulder activation patterns (<30%). Middle deltoid recruitment was significantly reduced between 60-90o in the impingement group (30:58%).Trends were noted in other muscles with upper trapezius and infraspinatus activating more rapidly and erratically (63:25%; 60:27% respectively), and lower trapezius with less recruitment (13:30%) in the patient group, although these did not quite reach significance. Conclusion: There appears to be some interesting alterations in muscle recruitment patterns in impingement shoulder patients when compared against their own unaffected shoulders and the control group. In particular changes in scapula control (serratus anterior and trapezius) and lateral rotation (infraspinatus), which have direct influence on the sub-acromial space, should be noted. It is still not clear whether these alterations are causative or reactionary, but this finding gives a clear indication to the importance of addressing muscle reeducation as part of a rehabilitation programme in shoulder impingement patients