Photo By Daniel J. Calderón | Michael Poppo, biomechanics engineer at the Center for the Intrepid, Brooke Army...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (April 11, 2023) – The Center for the Intrepid, at Brooke Army Medical Center hosted its second annual event to celebrate National Biomechanics Day on April 6.
“We want to showcase all the technology we have here in our lab and talk about the research initiatives that we have ongoing,” said Ciera Price, research prosthetist and orthotist at the CFI. “We have a number of research projects related to limb salvage. We’re also doing a lot of research related to exoskeletal devices.”
For the event, the CFI hosted groups of college students and professors from colleges and universities across San Antonio. Students had the opportunity to speak with CFI scientists about the practical applications of lessons in biomechanics they were learning in their classes.
“We have biomechanical equipment at the school, but it’s nothing like this,” said Dr. Sukho Lee, a Health and Kinesiology professor at Texas A&M University San Antonio. “I’m sure our students are all learning a lot from coming in to see this and talk with scientists here. Our faculty would love to collaborate and work with staff here in the future.”
Price said the event helped showcase many of the ongoing projects scientists at the CFI’s Military Performance Lab are currently working. Among the displays was a stationary bike that took detailed measurements on the amount of pressure a subject exerted throughout the pedaling process. This helps researchers determine where subjects are straining and how to best improve both range of motion and effort distribution. Another of the displays was a demonstration of the “prosthetic emulator,” a prosthetic leg attached to a treadmill patients can use to “try on” different types of legs as they work toward increased mobility.
“These displays, and events like this, allow people to see the type of work we do and the types of instruments we use,” said Dr. Lee Childers, senior scientist at the CFI’s Military Performance Lab.
Students, professors, and other visitors also had the chance to see the Computer Assisted Rehabilitative Environment, or CAREN. The 300-degree simulator assists patients in recovery by providing a variety of realistic environments in which to train. Childers said having dozens of visitors come in and learn about the work they are doing at the CFI was heartening for him and the rest of the staff.
Childers and Price both said they are looking forward to holding the event again next year.
“I love this,” he said. “We are helping to influence young minds with what we do, with what we can do, and the science it takes to get there. I think this goes back to the old saying that ‘knowledge is power.’ Being able to see that there is a problem and then work all the way through to the solution is what science does.”
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2023 10:47 |
| Story ID: | 442375 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 362 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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