Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 27: Modelling of non-linear dynamics in biological movement (focus session, joint BP/DY)

BP 27.8: Talk

Wednesday, April 2, 2014, 16:00–16:30, ZEU 250

Computer simulation in biomechanics -- past, present, future — •Hanns Ruder¹ and Syn Schmitt² — ¹Theoretische Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen — ²Human Movement Simulation Lab, Universität Stuttgart

Since the beginning of science, humans wonder about, observe, and try to understand Nature. They do so by using the available tools and methods of their time to the best of their knowledge. In classical physics, over a century ago, research on the phenomena of life was common and driven by the desire to test the universality of physical laws. Already in 1906, Otto Fischer published theoretical considerations on studying the mechanics of human movement. Later, with the invention of computers, numerics helped researchers to solve more complex problems. It is now possible to study the birth and death of stars and the history of our universe. These new possibilities that come with Simulation technology are said to be the scientific paradigm of our age encouraging researchers from all disciplines to use these new methods. As physicists, we use reduced models to explore Nature and, for example in biomechanics, seek principles of human movement. We share the understanding that the very same forces which move the stars in the universe move the hips to let humans walk. Thus, computer simulations can help to understand the phenomena of human movement.

In this talk, we will discuss the organisation of biological material fulfilling the known principles of physics to walk, run, or jump. In short: from wobbling masses to intervertebral discs.