PIMS/ IAM Distinguished Lecture: Shreyas Mandre

  • Date: 01/16/2017
  • Time: 15:00
Lecturer(s):
Shreyas Mandre, Brown
Location: 

University of British Columbia

Topic: 

Functional interpretation for transverse arches of human foot

Description: 

Fossil record indicates that the emergence of arches in human ancestral feet coincided with a transition from an arboreal to a terrestrial lifestyle. Propulsive forces exerted during walking and running load the foot under bending, which is distinct from those experienced during arboreal locomotion. I will present mathematical models with varying levels of detail to illustrate a simple function of the transverse arch. Just as we curve a dollar bill in the transverse direction to stiffen it while inserting it in a vending machine, the transverse arch of the human foot stiffens it for bending deformations. A fundamental interplay of geometry and mechanics underlies this stiffening -- curvature couples the soft out-of-plane bending mode to the stiff in-plane stretching deformation. In addition to presenting a functional interpretation of the transverse arch of the foot, this study also identifies a classification of flat feet based on the skeletal geometry and mechanics.

Other Information: 

Location: ESB 2012

 

A light reception before the talk will be served from 2:30pm- 3:00pm, in ESB 4133 (PIMS lounge).