Brock University Continues SantosHuman Worker Safety Research Partnership
Brock University’s Neuromechanics and Ergonomics Lab in Ontario, Canada, will continue to partner with SantosHuman Inc. through the Santos® University Program. In 2018, their Kinesiology students began using the company’s predictive virtual human modeling and simulation software in studying the relationship between workplace injuries, ergonomics and fatigue.
“SantosHuman has emerged as a world leader in digital human modeling, and the power of this technology is an innovative step forward for the Ergonomics profession,” said Michael Holmes, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Canada Research Chair at Brock University. “Our partnership with Santos began last year, and our students really enjoyed using the software in our fourth-year physical ergonomics course. We are fortunate to have Santos as a teaching and research resource.”
Brock University’s Neuromuscular Mechanics and Ergonomics Lab integrates motion capture, robotics and neurophysiology to understand muscle recruitment, fatigue and injury. The Santos University Program provides Brock University with an additional virtual human resource to enhance and expand the university’s high-fidelity workplace simulations. In addition, the program provides students in undergraduate and Masters of Professional Kinesiology ergonomics courses with access to SantosHuman’s first-of-its-kind predictive human simulation software.
“By partnering with Santos, we are able to provide Brock students with experiential learning opportunities that use state-of-the-art technology to solve real world problems,” Dr. Holmes said. “In 2018, our partnership with Santos helped us secure a Brock Teaching and Learning Grant. This grant allowed us to develop learning modules and prepare graduate students/teaching assistants for teaching and learning opportunities.”
The new learning modules provide students with experiential learning related to strength demands. They simulate tasks in the lab, then attempt to recreate them in the virtual environments funded by the grant and uploaded into the Santos software.
“I founded the Santos Institute in 2014 to provide oversight of all activities associated with the development and dissemination of Santos knowledge,” said Steve Beck, President & CEO of SantosHuman Inc. “We also needed to ensure these activities represented academic rigor, so we established the Santos University Program to officially partner with internationally renowned programs of Kinesiology, Ergonomics, Human Factors, Design, and Engineering. Dr. Holmes’ efforts at Brock University provide an outstanding example of the value of these partnerships.”
Researchers at Brock University will use the SantosHuman Arm Force Field Plug-in to better understand physical demands in the workplace and how people become injured at work.
SantosHuman’s research partnerships in Europe and North and South America include Nipissing University, University of Michigan-Dearborn, University of California-Berkeley, Oregon State University, Politecnico di Milano, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, the University of Waterloo and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.