Episode 1: (Bio)Mechanics
May 20 1:30-5:30 PM EDT
Interplay between the neuromechanics, economy, and stability of human walking in the face of dynamic balance challenges
In this brief talk, I will discuss two walking task objectives in which the interplay between neuromechanics, economy, and stability is critically important, not only for humans but also for legged robotics – namely, regulating push-off intensity and preserving lateral balance. Over the course of several experiments, our research group has sought to augment push-off intensity (via real-time biofeedback) or lateral balance (via optical flow perturbations) while measuring the interdependent effects on walking economy and stability. Bioenergetic modeling and simulation, electromyography, and novel experimental manipulations add mechanistic insight into the underlying neuromechanics. I will use this talk to suggest that interplay between the neuromechanics, economy, and stability of human walking is task-dependent, time-dependent and subject to adaptation, and subject to change with age and/or disease.
Dr. Jason Franz
Jason R. Franz is an Associate Professor in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NC State). He also holds faculty appointments in the UNC Human Movement Science Program and the UNC Thurston Arthritis Center. Dr. Franz is the director of the UNC Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, which aims to advance understanding of the neuromuscular determinants of walking ability limitations, instability, and falls, with a special emphasis on aging and neurodegenerative disease. Prior to joining UNC and NC State, Dr. Franz completed an NIH Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his Ph.D. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He currently serves as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on multiple NIH-funded research projects, all predominantly focused on rehabilitation engineering strategies to mitigate age- and disease-related mobility impairment and falls risk.