The primary purpose of this lab is to evaluate the properties and response of non-biological materials to forces and stresses. Below is a list of the equipment used in this lab.

1. Servo-Hydraulic Testing Machine

• MTS Model 204.52 Hydraulic Actuator Testing Machine
• Used to examine the physical strength of materials
• Produces computer-controlled displacements or forces in sine or ramp wave shapes
• Capable of producing 50ms sinewave load or position controlled impacts of up to 20,000 Newtons
• MTS Model 458.2 Microconsole with data captured to a computer-controlled 16 bit A2D board running National Instruments LabView™ software

2. Biaxial Testing Fixture

• Custom-designed table and mount with hydraulic actuator
• Used in conjunction with MTS Servo-Hydraulic Actuator to provide force along two separate axes
• Can be used for 2-dimensional loads of human and animal joints

3. Biaxial/Triaxial Torque/Compression Testing Fixture

• Custom-designed table and mount with linear and rotary actuators
• Used in conjunction with MTS Servo-Hydraulic Actuator to produce translational and rotational forces on two or three axes
• Used in experimentation on the behavior of knee joints under loading

4. VICON Motion Capture System

• Uses multiple cameras placed at different angles to measure motion in real-time
• Detects position of reflective markers placed on biological landmarks of joints or bones in absolute dimensions and relative to one another
• Information can be used to track motion of particular bone or joint to measure torque or displacement
• Has been used to track motion of the talus during ankle torsion as well as femur and tibia motion during hyperextension

5. Screwdrive Testing Machine

• Can produce large-displacement, position-controlled, slow-speed motion
• Forces generated can be used to evaluate the strength of various materials
• Has been used to test the glue strength of shoe sole construction

6. Turf Tester

• Uses static loads to simulate the body weight of an athlete
• Uses a surrogate ankle that can measure torsional rotation of the ankle and at the shoe
• Has been used in a study of football cleats funded by the NFL