Instructor: Prof. Dr. Tomohiro Gonjo, Heriot-Watt University Edinburg, Scotland
e-mail:T.Gonjo@hw.ac.uk
Learning goals: By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of Biomechanical terminologies.
- Utilise open-source software to solve practical questions with Biomechanical methods.
- Apply kinematic and kinetic theories into practice.
- Explain movement performance differences using Biomechanical data and theories.
Overview of the course: The course consists of both theoretical and practical sessions. In the theoretical sessions, you will focus on learning fundamental knowledge in Biomechanics, such as the definitions of Biomechanical terminologies, common Biomechanical research devices and methods, Newton’s laws, and mathematical equations commonly used in Biomechanics. In the practical sessions, you will learn how to analyse human movements (mainly focusing on jump movements) using a single camera (two-dimensional analysis) and link kinematics and kinetics to solve practical questions.
Required pre-knowledge: You will be required to have basic mathematical knowledge and skills such as trigonometry, coordinate systems and Pythagorean theorem. Having a good understanding of Newtonian mechanics is not mandatory but advantageous.
Assessment: At the end of the course, you will be assigned an exam consisting of a wide range of questions such as multiple-choice questions, multiple-selection questions, numerical calculations, and data analysis questions, etc.