Il Laboratorio di Bioingegneria e Neuromeccanica del Movimento ha in corso i seguenti progetti di ricerca nell’ambito delle applicazioni allo sport:

Analysis of advanced technologies, data mining for the quantitative monitoring and training characterization in amateur football players

AI-driven technology intelligence: SPORTHEALTH

Football is one of the most practiced and followed sports in the world. However, the characterization of the footballers in terms of training and quantitative monitoring is mainly focused on professional players, while amateurs are less investigated and tested. The lack of money for good instrumentation and the time to be tested are the main factors that don’t contribute to the characterization of amateur players. We are currently developing low-cost solutions based on smartphones and machine learning algorithms to give tools that can be applied in the field, to investigate both performance and risk of injury of amateur footballers.

Post-doctoral researcher: Beatrice De Lazzari
Project coordinators: Giuseppe Vannozzi; Valentina Camomilla

In collaboration with

Financed by

RACE – Armonia tra cavallo e cavaliere

Ricerca volta alla caratterizzazione dell’armonia tra cavallo e cavaliere mediante validazione strumentale in laboratorio di sensori inerziali e di forza\pressione; definizione di protocolli di test e implementazione di algoritmi per la segmentazione di diverse locomozioni equestri e l’estrazione di parametri prestativi o utili alla caratterizzazione del rischio di infortunio; test di sistemi integrati di misura biomeccanica direttamente sul campo equestre.

Principal Investigator: Valentina Camomilla

In collaboration with: Celeste Wilkins

Financed by:

Hammer throw technique analysis and training

The pursuit of performance in the hammer throw is given not only by the development of athletic ability but also by the improvement of technique. However, the whole movement has not yet been fully understood. Some elements of the initial phases of throwing have not been investigated, and the correlations between different elements are also not entirely clear. Using the force platform, inertial sensors and video analysis we are trying to fill these gaps and provide tools for hammer throwing training, such as the use of hammers of different weights and lengths.

Doctoral researcher: Gian Mario Castaldi
Supervisors: Valentina Camomilla, Andrea Macaluso

Prevention and Return To Sport after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Development and Testing of an Ecological Functional Assessment Protocol with Wearable Inertial Sensors

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is considered among the most critical injuries in sports practice, accounting for about 50% of total knee ligament injuries. Surgical intervention is often required to restore mechanical stability. After the surgery, the athlete starts a long rehabilitation phase with the aim to return to sport (RTS) without any restriction. However, after ACL tear, alterations in the communication between the joint (bones, muscles, tendons, and joint capsule) and the central nervous system occur, significantly influencing the movement neuromechanics. Sport-specific movement analysis, aiming at identifying risk-related parameters and indicators of knee stability, is crucial both in a preventive perspective and during rehabilitation/RTS. Despite the large number of studies on the topic, there is still no consensus when considering tests and/or criteria/thresholds to minimize risks in RTS.
In this perspective, the goal of this project is to develop a field-based protocol for the quantification of knee stability – focused on a quantitative analysis of sport-specific task – through the application of wearable inertial sensors.

Doctoral Researcher: Andrea Baldazzi
Supervisor: Elena Bergamini

Rotational knee instability in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears with associated peripheral lesions

Rotational knee instability in ACL tears is the focus of several laboratory studies, while a few evidence is available concerning clinical and biomechanical assessment of the multiplanar knee instability, especially considering the role of associated meniscal tears. The main aim of the present project is to understand the role of meniscal tears associated to ACL tears in affecting arthrometric measurements in vivo, gait and running biomechanics.

Doctoral Researcher: Guglielmo Torre
Supervisors: Andrea Macaluso, Elena Bergamini