Kinematic measurements for the characterization of the dynamics of hopping

Abstract

The study of human movement requires the accurate measurement of the forces and of the kinematic quantities involved. Here we consider hopping, that deserves great attention in the literature, since it combines the activation of a complex sensorimotor control with the relative simplicity of the gesture. The movement of the center of mass and the contact conditions are of special interest. Thus a measuring system that combines digital image acquisition, force measurement based on a force plate and extensive use of inertial sensors, for linear and rotational motion, has been developed and characterized. The results concerning the accurate measurement of contact conditions are specially outlined.