Welcome to the BioInstrumentation Lab, in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Utah. Our research involves development of innovative methods of analyzing interesting physiological parameters of humans (and robots!).

A major research thrust is motion analysis, for instance to evaluate stability in older adults and to provide real-time feedback for persons with lower-limb prosthetics, or to determine position and orientation of a robot or actuator. We are also interested in novel screening methods, such as using the vibrotactile threshold to evaluate nerve health, for instance to evaluate median nerve damage for screening for carpal tunnel syndrome.

We recently enjoyed hosting the ACCESS 09/10 women for lab tours, demonstrations and some hands-on (make that feet-on!) experiments.

Eric and Mohamad discuss MEMS accelerometers and gyros, and demonstrate robots and VICON motion tracking equipment.	Phil and Lynn demonstrate their insole instrumentation, respectively, to collect data long-term to evaluate balance, and to provide feedback corresponding to asymmetric gait.	Minu demonstrates the insole-platform, while ACCESS students observe their center of force vary in real-time while balancing on one foot.