Arash Arami is an MME professor
MME professor Arash Arami has conducted a new study - using sophisticated cameras and sensors attached to first-time riders, it revealed that the key to mastering a hoverboard is focusing on ankle movements.
“Those who learned faster and performed better had strongly adopted an ankle strategy, meaning that they controlled their ankle motion by activating or co-activating the muscles around them,” said Arash Arami.
While focusing about ankle movement may be wise for new riders, a study in other parts of the world shows that the central nervous system somehow just knows what the best strategy is - after a short familiarization session, most volunteers would be replying on ankle movements without extra help.
“The process of learning how to ride a hoverboard is largely subconscious,” Arami said.
Hoverboards are now a tool for scientists throughout the world to investigate how the central nervous system controls human movement and have the potential to help the development of assistive and rehabilitative robotics systems to allow people with impairments to regain movement.
More detailed story has been included in the latest Waterloo News.