The Neuromotor Control Laboratory opened in January 1998 to study human motor control strategies and to develop interactive robots in the context of surgical and healthcare problems. We are located in the Centre for Integrated Computing Systems Research at UBC to exploit connections to the other robotics and related computational labs nearby, but we also have strong connections with surgeons at Vancouver Hospital.
Our primary goals are:
- to understand the processes involved in human movement. Possible benefits of such knowledge are improved diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders and more natural planning of robotic manipulation tasks.
- to apply knowledge of human motor performance abilities to the design and ergonomic assessment of surgical equipment, particularly robotic and teleoperated devices.
- to improve & assess alignment accuracy and precision in total knee replacement surgery in hopes of improving lifespan of implanted prostheses.
Our lab has an area of about 90 m2, which is used for experimental setups, lab meetings, and graduate student desks. We also have access to wet lab facilities in the Anatomy department on the main UBC campus and the Orthopaedic Engineering Research Laboratory at Vancouver Hospital. We are equipped with a number of personal computers, two optoelectronic localizers for precision measurements of tools and human limb segments, a custom-built interactive robot for motor control studies, and a variety of motion control equipment and associated I/O electronics for developing other robotic devices.
Please contact Dr. A. Hodgson for additional information on opportunities to work in this lab.
