Researchers Reveal Tip for Riders of Hoverboards
hubie writes:
It's all in the ankles when it comes to riding hoverboards:
Engineering researchers have some simple advice for people learning to ride hoverboards: it's all in the ankles.
An experiment using sophisticated cameras and sensors attached to first-time riders revealed that ankle movements, not knee or hip movements, are the key to catching on to the increasingly popular devices.
[...] Hoverboards have a motor and two wheels connected by a platform. Riders steer and balance with their feet, although some models are self-balancing.
While new riders would be wise to concentrate on ankle movement, the study by researchers in Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan also showed the central nervous system somehow seems to just know the best strategy to use.
[...] "The process of learning how to ride a hoverboard is largely subconscious," Arami said. "Interestingly enough, our central nervous system can usually figure it out without much instruction, so take it easy and enjoy the ride."
Researchers theorize ankle movement is primarily used to learn to ride because they're the joints closest to the board, primates generally learn better with their hands and feet, and the central nervous system often tries to minimize muscular effort.
[...] Researchers are ultimately interested in using technology to develop assistive and rehabilitative robotics systems to allow people with impairments to regain movement.
"Hoverboards, as simple as they appear, help us dig into how we control our lower limbs and deepen our understanding of human motor control," Arami said.
Journal Reference:
Mohammad Shushtari, Atsushi Takagi, Judy Lee, et al., Balance strategy in hoverboard control, Sci Rep, 12:4509 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08291-0
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