Human Biomechanics and Injury Prevention

Human biomechanics is an important research field in achieving safety, health, comfort, and a high quality of life in a world where the older generation soon will outnumber the younger generation. Recently there have been significant developments in this new field ofresearch, addressing such issues as injury prevention in various types of accidents, the causes of human bodily dysfunction, function recovery through medical care and training, and func­ tional reinforcement by sports. These issues are studied on the basis of the biomechanics of the cells, tissues, organs, and systems of the human body. To achieve the aim of providing support for better lives from the aspect of mechanical engineering, the Human Life Support Biomechanics Endowed Chair at the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University was established more than 3 years ago with a donation from the Toyota Motor Corporation. Since that time, we have been conducting intensive research in the field as well as trying to publicize our work in Japan. The results of our research have been presented at conferences both at home and abroad. We have also en­ deavored to underscore the importance of the field by organizing symposiums with carefully designed programs.