ELSMIER Human Movement Science 15 (1996) 325

Guest editorial

3-D analysis

Advances in the biomechanical aspects of human movement analysis during the past thirty years have been driven in part by the rapid development of real-time data acquisition systems and more accurate instrumentation as well as by an increase in the interaction between the basic and applied sciences. Whilhem Braune and Otto Fisher were the first to perform, in the late 19th century, three-dimensional analyses of human tasks. Although in the middle of the 20th century there was a recrudescence of such activities, we had to wait until the 70’s for the optoelectronic systems to gradually supercede the cine- matographic techniques which enabled easier data capture and faster data processing.

Increased interaction between the basic and the applied sciences combined with technological advancements have also contributed to the development of human movement analysis. This special issue was designed not only to reflect the diversity of three-dimensional analyses of human movement but also to show the substantial contributions made by related disciplines to this field.

The guest editors for this issue, Joann&s Dimnet (Claude-Bernard University, Lyon, France), Alain Junqua (University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France) and Paul Allard (University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada) have assembled a broad collection of topics related to the field of three-dimensioanal analysis of human movement. Many of these selected topics were presented at the First Intema- tional Summer School of the Technical Group of the International Society of Biomechanics. The event took place in June, 1996 in Lyon, France. It is hoped that this issue will stimulate application of such knowledge in areas like modelling, robotics, virtual reality as well as in their application to locomotion and computer-aided surgery.

Joann&s Dimnet Alain Junqua

Paul Allard

0167-9457/96/$15.00 0 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

PII SO167-9457(96)00026-7