Goal of 'technologies for motor behaviour analysis and virtual modelling' is focused at providing the student with the knowledge about hardware devices and math-software algorithms exploited by the systems for the analysis of motor behaviour for neuroscience, biomedical, biomechanics, ergonomics and entertainment purposes. In the course, a full panorama of paradigmatic and modern instrumentation and modelling tools are presented with the goal of conveying the deep understanding of the foundations of the topics and providing the ability to use the knowledge in a proper way, in order to analyse and design according to the biomedical and other requirements. Practical human motion simulation modelling problems will be assigned to students with the specific aim to allow them experiment the complexity of experimental set-up for the collection of human motion analysis and set-up the while pipeline to allow importing experimental data into virtual human motion simulation environments.

The first result expected is the deep interdisciplinary knowledge about the systems for motor behaviour analysis and their biomedical related requirements (DD1 - Dublin Descriptor 1 - Knowledge Acquisition). The student will be, with the acquired knowledge, able to apply it to analyse and to design some basic devices and methods for the measurement and simulation of the motor behaviour through different probing systems, from electrophysiology to the motor actions (DD2 - Dublin Descriptor 2 - Application of Knowledge). The course is mainly thought to allow the student to gain the knowledge of the aspects of the description of each method and/or system at the detailed mathematical approach and the device level. The interview and possibility to discuss a scientific paper will expand students’ focused communication skills (DD4 - Dublin Descriptor 4 - Communication skill).

The course describes in detail the core technologies for the detection of human motor acts. The lectures and other activities include the following topics:

1) Technologies for measuring myoelectric activity:

signal generation; electrodes; biological and environmental noise; amplifiers; sources of signal distortion.

2) Technologies for measuring forces exchanged between the subject and the environment:

sensors and signal conditioning units; amplifiers; pressure maps; sources of signal distortions.

3) Technologies for measurement of motion kinematics:

interfacing features; sensors; information recognition and extraction; signal processors; noise identification and suppression; off-line and real time tracking; calibration and 3D reconstruction.

4) Methods for human motor behaviour simulation and virtualization; human body modelling; application of captured human motion data to virtual models and scene to simulate interaction;

5) Human factors; human machine interface learned through the application of specific applications for human motion simulation

Basic electronic devices (basic circuits, operational amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers, optical sensors), mathematical analysis and projective geometry, biomechanics and biomedical images.

Evaluation will be carried out through a written test including analysis and design of devices and an interview. This will allow to evaluate the actual understanding of the technology and math, which constitute the foundations of the systems for motor analysis. The students can choose also to add the commentary of a scientific paper taken from a suggested pool as complement to the interview. An additional interview focused on the module related to human motion virtualization will complete the overall assessment of students’ preparation, including a thoroughly presentation and discussion of their experimental projects.

In the central part of the term (lectures suspension) the students will be given the opportunity to take a mid term test (as above) on the subjects of the first part of the course.