Equipment
The ABLE Lab is a 1,000-square-foot research facility equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation for advanced gait biomechanics and movement analysis. The laboratory supports comprehensive kinematic, kinetic, neuromuscular, plantar pressure, and metabolic assessments of human walking and running.
Emed Pressure Platform
The Emed pressure platform (Novel GmbH, Munich, Germany) is used for accurate assessment of barefoot plantar pressure distribution, supporting studies of foot loading patterns and pathology.
Pedar In-Shoe Pressure System
The Pedar system (Novel GmbH, Munich, Germany) provides reliable in-shoe pressure measurement during dynamic activities, allowing evaluation of loading patterns under footwear and orthotic conditions.
Motion Capture System
The ABLE Lab is equipped with a 16-camera high-speed motion capture system (Motion Analysis Corporation, Santa Rosa, CA), providing a large capture volume for three-dimensional kinematic analysis. All acquisition and analysis software (e.g., Cortex, MATLAB) are fully networked, allowing simultaneous data processing and modeling.
Force Plates
The motion capture system is synchronized with four embedded force plates (AMTI, Watertown, MA). These plates measure three-dimensional ground reaction forces and moments, enabling detailed kinetic analysis during gait.
Metabolic Cart
A portable metabolic cart (K5, Cosmed) enables breath-by-breath gas exchange analysis, allowing accurate assessment of oxygen consumption and energy expenditure during walking and running.
Instrumented Treadmill
The laboratory includes a baropodometric treadmill (Runtime XL, Sensor Medica, Rome, Italy) capable of speeds up to 25 km/h and inclines from 0 to 15 degrees. The treadmill measures dynamic plantar pressure during treadmill-based gait analysis.
Electromyography (EMG)
A 16-channel wireless electromyography system (Trigno Avanti Sensors, Delsys Inc., Boston, MA) enables real-time recording of muscle activation patterns during functional movements.
Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
Wearable inertial measurement unit sensors (APDM Mobility Lab system, Opal sensors, APDM Inc., Portland, OR, USA) are used to quantify spatiotemporal gait parameters, balance, and postural sway in laboratory and clinical settings.
Physical Activity Monitoring
The lab houses 20 Actigraph accelerometers (GT3X, Actigraph, FL, USA) for objective assessment of daily physical activity and movement intensity.
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)
The ABLE Lab is equipped with a portable functional nearinfrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system (NIRSport, NIRx Medical Technologies, Berlin, Germany) configured with 8 light sources and 8 detectors. This system enables noninvasive assessment of cortical hemodynamic activity during functional tasks such as walking and balance, supporting investigation of brain–behavior interactions in gait and movement.
