Computational Biomechanics

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

The prerequisites for this subject are 620-143 Applied Mathematics or equivalent, 436-202 Mech­anics 1

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit

website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

On completion of this subject students should gain an understanding of the structure and function of the skeletal, muscular, and sensory systems of the human body. Students should also be able to formulate simple, integrative models of the human neuromusculoskeletal system; and to use computational models of the human body to analyse muscle function during activities like standing, walking, running and jumping.

On completing this course students will be able to -

• Describe the various elements comprising a computational model of the human neuromusculoskeletal system;
• Formulate and solve differential equations that govern the motion of rigid-body (link-segmental) dynamical systems;
• Describe the mechanical properties of various soft tissues, especially muscle, ligament, and tendon;
• Formulate and solve differential equations that incorporate the major physiological properties of muscle, ligament, and tendon;
• Formulate simple, integrative models of the human neuromusculoskeletal system;
• Use computational models of the human body to study muscle function during movement; and
• Gain experience in using an open source musculoskeletal modeling software package (OpenSim) to build models of the body and perform dynamic simulations of human movement.

One 2-hour end of semester written exam (45%), 3 in-class quizes (15%) and four homework assignments distributed throughout the semester (40%).

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Communication
• Team work