Introduction

The ‘Envision’ research described in this chapter was conducted between late 2007 and early 2009, the first of the New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) projects to complete. The findings from the project provided the platform for further Research Councils UK funding to continue our research in this area, and so although our account is now somewhat historical, and some of the statements arising from our findings at the time relate to either the limitations of the technologies that were available to us or practices current at that point, this chapter allows us to usefully contextualise the value of this NDA Envision work with reference to what was to follow and to refer to more recently published articles where some of the themes outlined in this chapter have been discussed in more detail.

Potential value in the use of biomechanical analysis

Over four decades of research, the field of biomechanics (the study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms) has contributed knowledge about the musculoskeletal system and the way it operates dynamically in relation to muscle force and the effects of gravity. Biomechanical analysis can be used to scientifically assess the causes of the movement problems of individuals. In the healthcare context, biomechanics can be used to assess patients and to measure, for example, their progress and outcomes following treatment. In relation to the design of, for example, the built environment, furniture and transport, biomechanical analysis can be used to help provide an evaluation of the impact of design details and features on individuals’ capabilities in performing a range of daily living activities, such as the impact of the variation in the height of seating or the inclusion of armrests in furniture, or the impact of the variation of worktop and stair heights in homes and buildings.

Barriers to widespread adoption

To date, biomechanical data measurement and analysis have only been used in a small number of clinical scenarios, largely in clinical gait analysis (the systematic study of locomotion in a clinical setting). These specialist sessions are expensive both in terms of the types of equipment used to collect motion data and the specialist staff required to collect and interpret the results.