Title of Project

Modeling and quantification of sports surfaces during dynamic human surface interactions.

Chief Supervisor

Dr Luke Hopper

Other Supervisors

Project Outline

The floor surfaces used in sports are integral environmental factors for sporting athletes. In many sports, such as Australian rules football, an inadequate surface is often referred to as having a direct affect on the incidence of lower limb musculoskeletal injuries such as ankle inversion sprains and anterior cruciate ligament ruptures. Little information is available to suggest what surface mechanical properties are being referred to when a surface is flagged as being inadequate. To date, mathematical representation of human surface interactions has primarily used linear spring stiffness as a crude representation of both the surface and the lower limb mechanics. Given the limited knowledge associated with dynamic human surface interactions, the methods used for quantifying sports surfaces are also limited and little evidence is available to validate their outputs. Therefore creating a greater intrinsic knowledge of the manner in which surfaces behave under dynamic loadings has the potential to inform the production of test methods that can be used to represent human surface interactions. Improving surface test methods can facilitate the regulation of surfaces used in sporting competitions as well as the development of industry standards that can be enforced in the interests of preventing sports related injury.

Suitable for

Essential qualifications

Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science OR
Bachelor of Physiotherapy

Essential skills

Additional skills

Contact

Luke Hopper; luke.hopper@nd.edu.au; 9433 0974