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A project that will use cutting-edge technology to develop safe and comfortable footwear for active older people has received a grant from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Dr Sharon Dixon and Professor James Brownjohn will use the brand new VSimulator facility at the University of Exeter to study “lower limb joint load” in active seniors engaged in sports.
The pilot data will contribute to the design of a bespoke sports shoe.
Funding comes from UKRI’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Healthy Aging Catalyst Award.
The project is supported by the commercial partner Cosyfeet, suppliers specialized in footwear for the elderly.
The Catalyst Awards support the exploration of new and innovative ideas with the opportunity to transform the physical, mental and social well-being of an aging global society.
In addition to a grant of up to £ 50,000, award holders will receive a nine-month structured support program to accelerate ideas and work with researchers to maximize the reach and impact of their work.
This pilot study will be the first of many research and commercial programs using Exeter’s VSimulator facility’s unique ability to explore human movement and responses to the environment.
Dr. Dixon’s research aims to understand lower limb joint load in the elderly during sports participation.
Previously, such research could only take place in uncontrolled outdoor environments or in gait analysis laboratories, offering limited results.
This research study will examine in detail to understand and model the loads that occur between the shoe, the person and the surface.
This research will also interest human movement scientists, engineers, biomechanics, footwear scientists and public bodies such as the NHS.
VSimulator at the University of Exeter is a new ‘super force plate’ facility unique in the UK (and potentially the world).
It is an 8m x 8m chamber at the Exeter Science Park Engineering Research Center containing a custom designed 3.7mx 3.7m Octopod motion platform providing movement in six directions.
This is topped with nine custom AMTI force plates, creating a giant force plate, to provide a fully instrumented floor capable of acquiring and analyzing comprehensive data.
Up to nine users can be immersed simultaneously in a virtual environment via the VivePro headphones.
The motion capture capability allows for the collection and compilation of data including users’ position, plate strength, motion measured by accelerometers, and user reactions.
This is synchronized frame by frame and presented to the research team for analysis.
Dr Dixon said: “This exciting new facility presents a unique opportunity to obtain detailed and accurate data on the load experienced by players performing full sports movements, an ongoing challenge in sports biomechanics.
“Focusing on older sports participants will provide new data to help us understand footwear and play environment requirements for the growing population of active seniors.”
VSimulator is a unique facility that provides a central hub for interdisciplinary research and collaboration between academic communities and business partners.
This grant is a fantastic opportunity to explore an area for new research that will lead to the innovation of new products for an active and aging population. “
Julie Lewis-Thompson, Sales Manager for VSimulators
Andrew Pierce, CEO of CosyFeet, said: “Working with the research team at the University of Exeter is a very exciting project for Cosyfeet.
“Our brand focuses on providing comfortable and supportive footwear for people with swollen feet, who are more often the elderly.
“Many of our customers are still quite active and all would benefit from an active or more active lifestyle.
“This research project will support us in providing sports footwear in our range.
“This will allow our customers to participate in light sports, such as walking, running or playing tennis, giving them the best support, comfort and performance in those activities.”
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