Foot-down not ground-up: moving from splint to natural models for children's shoe design. We will provide much-needed knowledge of the impact of children's footwear on their musculoskeletal development, by conducting rigorous experimental comparisons of a standard school shoe, a custom-built 'midfoot flexing' shoe, bare feet, and a new school shoe design concept developed by university researchers to enhance rather than disrupt natural foot function. The innovation will make Bata Australia the f ....Foot-down not ground-up: moving from splint to natural models for children's shoe design. We will provide much-needed knowledge of the impact of children's footwear on their musculoskeletal development, by conducting rigorous experimental comparisons of a standard school shoe, a custom-built 'midfoot flexing' shoe, bare feet, and a new school shoe design concept developed by university researchers to enhance rather than disrupt natural foot function. The innovation will make Bata Australia the first manufacturer to embrace evidence-based shoe design, and will be an opportunity for the Company to provide global leadership in the field. Our advances will inform health professionals, manufacturers and parents in the task of improving the musculoskeletal health of young Australians.Read moreRead less
Interaction between consolidation and lubrication of biological joints. This project aims to develop a computational model to be used in conjunction with experimental studies to understand complex lubrication systems in biological joints. Nature has equipped biological joints with a remarkable ability to achieve ultralow friction even at relatively high contact force, however the mechanisms used remain uncertain. This project intends to provide a deeper, fundamental understanding of the friction ....Interaction between consolidation and lubrication of biological joints. This project aims to develop a computational model to be used in conjunction with experimental studies to understand complex lubrication systems in biological joints. Nature has equipped biological joints with a remarkable ability to achieve ultralow friction even at relatively high contact force, however the mechanisms used remain uncertain. This project intends to provide a deeper, fundamental understanding of the friction and contact mechanisms occurring in biological joints. The project outcomes could lead to bioinspired innovation in future engineering design and advancements in materials science that have the potential to significantly benefit Australian society.Read moreRead less