Please find below a request for participants in a balance study here in Birmingham. Usually these type of requests to the [email protected] address never see the light of day. This one is different given that it is ran by the University of Birmingham. Specifically, it is ran by the Biosciences department, and they employ our beloved Prof. Sensei Chris.

If you can make any of the time slots I'd encourage you to do so. Thanks.

''Dear All

I am looking for volunteers to take part in some experimental testing that involves measurement of human stability when standing on a flexible surface. As such I am keen to recruit climbers as climbers routinely perform tasks which require good balance control and are generally fit. We are conducting this study as part of a larger study into the origins of upright human walking which we have suggested may first have evolved to allow movement on very flexible branches in the rainforest canopy.

Unfortunately we have some restrictions on who can be tested, in the current study all volunteers must be:

Male, aged between 18 and 30 and generally healthy.


This study will involve standing on a springboard while we track the position of a number of reflective markers placed on your body. This is the same motion tracking technique that is used within the film industry to record actor’s movements in order to create animations and visual effects (such as Gollum in Lord of the Rings). During the testing we will observe how you react to some imposed oscillations of the board. Additionally we will record the electrical activity in a number of your leg muscles using an EMG system. The testing will take approximately 2-3 hours and will be conducted in the Hill Building, School of Psychology.

I will be running sessions on the following days/ times:

Friday 13th 9.30- 12.30

Saturday 14th 9.30- 12.30 and 1.30 -4.30

Sunday 15th 9.30- 12.30 and 1.30 -4.30

Tuesday 17th 9.30- 12.30 and 1.30 -4.30

Thursday 19th 9.30 – 12.30

Saturday 21st 9.30- 12.30 and 1.30 -4.30

Sunday 22nd 9.30- 12.30 and 1.30 -4.30

If anyone is interested please email me on: [email protected] and I will provide more information.

Thanks

Sam''

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Developing Nicely.

Anyone thinking of going on tuesday 17th or thursday 19th?

i can do the 19th