Internationally unique research environment for human motion and biosignal analysis  

The HUMEA Laboratory operates at the Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio and is run by the Biosignal Analysis and Medical Imaging Group (BSAMIG). The HUMEA Laboratory is an R&D environment for motion and biosignal analysis. Many research-driven corporate spin-offs have emerged from the laboratory, including Adamant Health , Heart2Save and Kubios.   

 The HUMEA Laboratory is a flexible R&D environment that comprises a laboratory facility and measurement equipment that can be operated independently of place. Key parts include the motion lab and robot-assisted rehabilitation development environment used for e.g. neurorehabilitation and nTMS navigation applications, a driving simulator environment and a physiology lab. Over the years, the HUMEA Laboratory’s research projects have led to forming extensive networks, thanks to the competencies in the research groups as well as cooperation with primary health care and specialised medical care.   

 “The focus of the HUMEA Laboratory activities is on research cooperation carried out with companies and academia and on projects that aim at the commercial applications of research”, says Professor Pasi Karjalainen, the head of the laboratory.   

 The HUMEA Laboratory equipment includes an instrumented treadmill with force sensors, a human 3D motion capture system, wireless EMG equipment, force plates and wearable acceleration and orientation sensors. The laboratory also utilises a variety of field-qualified measurement devices and methods. Wearable sensors have been used to develop methods for modelling the motion of the musculoskeletal system in real-time for the purposes of research in sports and work ergonomics, among other applications. Robotics, motion capture and real-time modelling of the musculoskeletal system have been combined to develop concepts for a range of applications for the rehabilitation of upper limb function in cerebrovascular disorder patients. The laboratory serves the needs of research and rehabilitation in both neurology and orthopaedics and in psychiatric therapy.    

 “The HUMEA Laboratory enables carrying out various studies and tests related to human motion and performance, primarily in the fields of medical research and rehabilitation but also in sports. The laboratory’s motion analysis method has been used to create 3D animations for a digital dance artwork showcasing research participants’ dance movements in a study examining the therapeutic impacts of dance on the treatment of MS and mild or moderately severe depression in collaboration with researchers in social sciences”, explains Paavo Vartiainen, a researcher in charge of the operative activities of the HUMEA Laboratory.   

 “For me, the best thing is that I get to meet people that we work with and can see the impacts of therapy in practice. Our aim is to also integrate the HUMEA Laboratory into the primary services of the wellbeing services county”, says Karjalainen.  

 Thanks to its competence in performing measurements, the HUMEA Laboratory brings together various members of the Kuopio Health ecosystem to discuss their research ideas.      

 “It goes without saying that the physiotherapy professionals at Savonia University of Applied Sciences are excellent partners in areas such as neurorehabilitation”, Karjalainen points out. “We also have access to the wide, international mentoring network of SPARK Finland, which supports us in our efforts to create commercial applications.”