MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL POWER OF HUMAN LOCOMOTION IN FREE-LIVING CONDITIONS

Abstract

The importance of accurate assessment of human locomotion in freeliving conditions is increasingly recognized. Existing methods have significant limitations due to the complexities of motion and the difficulties of measurement techniques. Recent developments in teohnology have made it feasible now to use kinematical and kinetic analysis in assessing free-living locomotion. In this study, the parameters of each segment motion in outdoor field are recorded and analyzed by an Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (IDEEA) device (Zhang et aI, 2003 & 2004), and the mechanical power (MP) of each joint is determined by a biomechanical model.