People can stand upright, walk, run, jump, cycle, and throw objects, to name but a few of the motor tasks that are performed seemingly without effort. In all cases, the CNS activates muscles, muscles produce forces, muscle forces together with external forces produce accelerations of body segments, and these accelerations, integrated over time, lead to the motion required to perform the task. In generating the muscle stimulation patterns, the central nervous system deals with the task constraints, the mechanical and physiological properties of the musculoskeletal system, the properties of the power supply systems, and the sensory information available in the task, with the relative importance of these factors varying with the task. The general objective of my work is to understand, for various motor tasks, why they are performed the way they are performed, and how they are controlled. This understanding is ultimately sought for humans, but some studies are also directed at animal locomotion. Although my primary objective is to gain fundamental insights, whenever possible I try to translate the results into recommendations for rehabilitation programs used in health care, and training programs and equipment used in sports. In my studies, the emphasis lies on biophysical methods of analysis, and experiments on subjects are intertwined with computer simulations using mathematical models of the control system, the action system and the power supply systems.
Patents
M.F. Bobbert, G. de Groot, J.H.P. Houdijk, G.J. van Ingen Schenau, J.J. de Koning, H. Meester, A.W. Schreurs (2000) National patent 1011985 and International patent PCT/NL00/00289 Klapskate I.
M.F. Bobbert, G. de Groot, J.H.P. Houdijk, G.J. van Ingen Schenau, J.J. de Koning, H.Meester, A.W. Schreurs (2000) National patent 1014318 Klapskate II.
