Anatomy of Movement - Student Projects Stanford University

Walking across a room and reaching for a glass are everyday activities but students from the Anatomy of Movement class are taking an unique look at these actions to teach their classmates more about how we move.

Students are trying to improve their golf swings, but they are not on the driving range. Instead, they take to the the motion analysis lab where they record the muscle activity, torque, and club head speed of several elite golfers.

Opposable thumbs are what separate humans from all other animals. They allow us to grasp and manipulate objects in a manner that an ape could not. The function of the thumb is one that we take for granted but one that is difficult to grasp for students.

What does head or torso movement have to do with playing a violin? How would assigning a sound to these movements help us learn more about what it takes to become an expert violinist? The students of the class seek to answer these quesions.