UW-L Health/Science Building

A big thank you to Dr. Tom Kernozek and his physical therapy students at UW-L for inviting us and showing us how you use science, math, and technology every day! 

We tested our muscle activity and strength using electromyography.

Your brain sends electrical signals to your muscles to tell them to contract. More demanding tasks require stronger muscle contractions. Electromyography (EMG) measures the electrical activity passing through your muscles when they contract!

Are you really standing still?

You are constantly in motion, even when you think you are standing still, this movement is called postural sway.

Three sensory systems help us balance and sway less: vision, the inner ear (vistibular system), and our sensory organs (propioceptors).

We experimented with our balance while standing on one leg with our eyes closed and open to see what would happen if one of these sensory systems was eliminated!

We also used pressure measurements to examine our footprints and help answer the following questions:

• What kind of footprint do I make when walking?
• How does walking speed influence pressure?
• How does wearing a cushioned sock influence pressure?

In order to answer these questions we had to do two tests: one that looked at where we put the most pressure on our feet and one that showed how quickly we walk.

speed (m/s) = distance (m) / time (s)

Thanks again Dr. Tom Kernozek and all of his physical therapy students at UW-L! We had a great time! :)