Musculoskeletal modeling allows researchers to perform a detailed analysis of human performance and animal movements, such as the determination of joint angles and muscle forces. OpenSim is an open-source software platform designed for creating, analysing and visualising musculoskeletal models and dynamic simulations of movement. It serves as a vital tool for researchers and practitioners in (sports) biomechanics and rehabilitation. In contrast to other software applications OpenSim is completely free and gives researchers great freedom in its application.

Masterclass Overview

This masterclass will teach early career researchers how to use OpenSim for analysing human movement and give the opportunity to ask questions. No prior programming experience or familiarity with OpenSim is required.

The masterclass will begin with a lecture covering the conceptual working of musculoskeletal modelling concepts such as inverse kinematics, inverse dynamics and optimisation. This will be followed by some example applications for various sports and biomechanical analysis, including joint angles, muscle forces and tissue loading. The lecture will be followed by a hands-on workshop.

In the hands-on part, participants will utilise provided datasets to perform scaling, inverse kinematics, and inverse dynamics procedures and learn to interpret the simulation outcomes.

  • Scaling: Learn how to adjust a generic musculoskeletal model to match the anthropometry of a specific subject, a crucial step for accurate simulations.
  • Inverse Kinematics: Understand the process of calculating joint angles from motion capture data to replicate observed movements within the model.
  • Inverse Dynamics: Explore methods to compute net joint moments based on motion data and external forces, essential for analysing movement mechanics.
  • Optimization Techniques: Delve into optimisation methods used to determine muscle forces (if time permits).

Participants are required to bring a laptop (preferably Windows software) and install OpenSim version 4.5 from the following link: https://simtk.org/frs/?group_id=91

Date: Tuesday, 1 July
Time: 09:00 – 11:30
Session room: Ponte

Please register for this Masterclass via the official ECSS Congress App as soon as it is released towards the end of May.

Ass. Prof Bas Van Hooren
Maastricht University
Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences
The Netherlands, Maastricht
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