Dr. Richard C. Nelson: Behind the Scenes

As the first PhD graduate of the Biomechanics Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University under the leadership of Dr. Richard C. Nelson, I reflect on my early experience in sport biomechanics there and its influence on some of my subsequent, and typically unpublished, research challenges.

Applications of Plantar Pressure Measurement- A Review

Foot plantar pressure is the pressure field that acts between the foot and the support surface during locomotor activities. Information obtained from such pressure measurement gives us ankle and foot functions during gait and other activities. The ankle and foot provide the required support to do different activities like walking, playing, running etc. Data from plantar pressure measurement is crucial for diagnosing lower limb problems, designing a footwear, sport biomechanics, injury prevention and diagnosis. This paper concentrates on the applications of foot plantar pressure measurement in different fields and its future scope.

Dr Richard C. Nelson: A Facilitator and Door Opener

Dr Richard Nelson contributed to the development of sport biomechanics by being an international facilitator. Together with Dr Jürg Wartenweiler, he contributed the necessary support and input that allowed the field of Movement and Sports Biomechanics to develop and flourish.

Sport Biomechanics Applications Using Inertial, Force, and EMG Sensors: A Literature Overview

In the last few decades, a number of technological developments have advanced the spread of wearable sensors for the assessment of human motion. These sensors have been also developed to assess athletes’ performance, providing useful guidelines for coaching, as well as for injury prevention. The data from these sensors provides key performance outcomes as well as more detailed kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic data that provides insight into how the performance was obtained. From this perspective, inertial sensors, force sensors, and electromyography appear to be the most appropriate wearable sensors to use. Several studies were conducted to verify the feasibility of using wearable sensors for sport applications by using both commercially available and customized sensors. The present study seeks to provide an overview of sport biomechanics applications found from recent literature using wearable sensors, highlighting some information related to the used sensors and analysis methods. From the literature review results, it appears that inertial sensors are the most widespread sensors for assessing athletes’ performance; however, there still exist applications for force sensors and electromyography in this context. The main sport assessed in the studies was running, even though the range of sports examined was quite high. The provided overview can be useful for researchers, athletes, and coaches to understand the technologies currently available for sport performance assessment.