Software, training and support provided by Ozen Engineering, Inc., allow researchers to create computer models of the human musculoskeletal system to measure internal body forces during daily activity.

   

Research on mechanics of the human body aims to bring better pain-relieving products.

By Sandy Woodward

It might come as a surprise to some that Clemson University mechanical engineering researchers study more than machines. The mechanics of the human body, including such basic activities as walking, sitting and standing, are the subject of research by Mica Grujicic, the Wilfred P. and Helen S. Tiencken Professor of Mechanical Engineering. 

The research translates into a better understanding of the way people move and interact with the physical environment. One expected outcome of the research is better products to relieve pain and improve quality of life. Research focusing on seating comfort and fatigue, for example, could be used to design home and office chairs, wheelchairs and car seating to improve comfort and ergonomic quality. Grjicic also is using the software to research better implants and joint replacements for hips, knees and other areas of the body.

The development of such new products offers economic development opportunity for new spin-off companies to design and manufacture them. Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences is one of the University’s emphasis areas that combines academic strength in the field and a related industry presence in the state. Companies often prefer to locate near research centers that have developed the technology, so South Carolina could benefit from the developments in this lab and other affiliated research programs.

Grujicic’s research recently received a boost from California-based Ozen Engineering Inc., which provided its AnyBody Modeling System software, training and support for the research team. The AnyBody Modeling System allows researchers to create computer models of the human musculoskeletal system that measures internal body forces during daily activities, such as walking, running, standing and sitting. Ozen also provided Any2Ans, its software that enables results from the AnyBody System to be streamlined into ANSYS, which can evaluate the stresses and strains on bones and joints during activity.

“Currently the development of new, more-comfortable seats is based almost entirely on legacy knowledge and extensive, time-consuming and costly prototyping and experimental/field testing,” Grujicic said. “This should speed things up considerably.

“These tools can be used to complement pre-clinical implant evaluation tests so we can determine realistic loading conditions associated with active daily living, conditions that are not generally covered in laboratory pre-clinical evaluation tests,” he said.