Possibly the most rewarding scientific studies focus on human beings and their strengths and weakness, for example consider sports and illness. Computers have recently evolved to the level where they can start being used to model human beings in a simulated environment. One can study virtual human models as opposed to humans themselves, opening the floodgates for new research and discovery that is likely to have a profound effect on everyday lives. Unfortunately, researchers are still severely lacking methods for programming computers to carry out these types of simulations. This proposal is focused on constructing these numerical methods, with a particular focuson those related to human motion. Targeting biomechanics, application areas that will benefit from this research include: automobile crash dummies, surgical planning, animated humans for computer graphics and the entertainment industry, models for ergonomics studies, education, etc.
Simulation of human motion is a paradigm of cross-disciplinary studies, requiring combined knowledge of computer graphics and biomechanics in order to simulate accurately with a physics-based musculoskeletal system. This work addresses the need for new algorithms to continue generating advances in human motion. Biomechanics and medicine are in need of virtual musculoskeletal systems in order to test medical devices and surgical procedures. With such a model, prosthetics and other exoskeleton-type equipment to help paraplegics and quadriplegics walk could be tested and refined without endangering humans. However, to enable these technologies, significant advances in the algorithms used to simulate the human musculoskeletal system and control its locomotion are needed. In addition to algorithms for accurately representing the components of the musculoskeletal system such as bone, muscles, skins, tendons, algorithms are needed to model the dynamics of how those components interact with each other and the environment to generate human movement.
