MSc projects

Optimizing fall risk prediction in older adults

Falls are a common threat for elderly people and many patient populations during daily life activities. Each year 3% of people aged ≥65 years visit the Emergency Department due to a fall incident with an estimated cost of €675.4 million annually in the Netherlands alone which will only increase in the upcoming years. In collaboration with Smartfloor, the goal of this project is to develop an AI algorithm that translates the data from wearable sensors directly into a fall risk profile.

In-field fatigue detection in endurance running

Literature study
Defining and measuring fatigue in relation to sports injuries and performance.

MSc thesis
Fatigue is the dominant cause of short and long-term performance decrements in sports. Identification of fatigue-related alterations provides insights into the complex relations between fatigue, human performance, and injuries. Currently > 80% of the (endurance running fatigue) research remains within a controlled lab environment, focusing on short-term (1 exercise session) group-based fatigue. The goal of this project is to design a robust wearable system for in-field fatigue-related research.

Optimizing the speed skating technique on the straights

Literature study
Analysis of cost-functions in biomechanical trajectory optimization

MSc thesis
The speedskating technique of elite long-track speedskaters differs greatly between individuals. It is assumed that differences in body built and strength influence their motion pattern greatly. This makes it hard for the athletes and coaches to determine the optimal technique for each individual. Also because of the high interconnectivity of the different variables that determine the speedskating technique. The goal of this project is to use the simple skater model in an optimization study with the aim to provide insights into possible different optimal motion strategies for different body built (mass, leg length) or strength (leg extension velocity and acceleration, human power).

Musculoskeletal trunk model for 3D predictive full-body simulation

Literature study
Assessment of currently available musculoskeletal models of the spine

MSc thesis

The goal of this study is to develop a computationally fast 3D musculoskeletal model of the
trunk for predictive simulation of human motion, specifically the sit-to-stand movement.