A Novel Approach for Investigation on Lateral Fall Injuries and Mitigation Strategies using Electromyography (EMG) and Bayesian Optimization
| Project/Area Number |
19K15250
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 25020:Safety engineering-related
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| Research Institution | Nagoya University |
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Principal Investigator |
RAJAEI NADER 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 研究員 (30813787)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2019)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥690,000)
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| Keywords | Forward fall / Wrist fracture / Biomechnical Model / Impact force / even/uneven ground / Lateral fall / Biomechanical model / Bayesian Optimization / Human model / Finite Element Model |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
New biomechanical models to provide a more reliable prediction of impact force during a real lateral fall. Using Bayesian optimization will determine reliable fall arresting strategies as a new approach. The FEM analysis will determine the exact pressure distribution at the impact locations.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Falls and their related injuries pose a significant risk to human health. In the first step, I investigated the distal and proximal hand impact loads acting on human/wrist hand during a forward fall on both even and uneven terrains. The results showed that the magnitude of the peak impact forces acting on the distal and proximal areas are strongly associated with the terrain shape and the contact timing. Although a significant portion of the impact force was exerted on the proximal area of the hand, the earlier distal-ground contact reduced the peak proximal impact force significantly. In order to achieve the purpose of this research study, I conducted a series of forward fall experiments by recruiting human subjects after approving the experimental protocols by the Institutional Review Board of Nagoya University.
Then, I investigated the safety considerations to prevent wrist injuries during forward falls. Hence, a biomechanical model was developed so that each arm has been considered separately. This novel model was able to facilitate an investigating of the asymmetrical contact and predict the impact force applied to each hand separately. The results show that the impact force applied to each hand is independent of the other. Using these results and our model, the safety aspects of human forward falls were analyzed with a view to preventing injuries. Specifically, we sought to determine the safe range of surface stiffness and damping to ensure that the occurrence of forward falls does not lead to trauma.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Since this research study requires actual data obtained through laboratory experiments, there are several challenges. The first challenge is to design an accurate experimental protocol so that to prevent any risk of injury for participants. Therefore, many pilot experiments are essential to examine whether or not the experiment is feasible. The next challenge is that the experimental protocols should be approved by the ethical community at Nagoya University that it takes time. In addition, recruiting participants is also tough and time-consuming in fall experiments.
After conducting the experiments, analyzing data is another challenge because a large raw data need to be analyzed to obtain appropriate results.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
1-Falling on the slippery ground may increase fall-related injuries. Hence, I will investigate falls on the slippery surface to measure the magnitude of impact loads acting on the upper extremity. The pressure distribution of the impact will also obtain using simulation results incorporating both multibody and finite element techniques for a fall from standing position.
2-I will try to propose a novel 2D active biomechanical model by taking into account the joint elements which are adjusted based on muscle activities.
3-Since the fall arrested strategies are effective methods to reduce fall-related injuries, I will also investigate new fall arrest strategies using the Bayesian optimization machine learning technique to reduce fall-related injuries. Using Bayesian optimization is a novel approach in fall studies.
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Report
(1 results)
Research Products
(2 results)
