Date of Award
6-2012
Document Type
Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
Bioengineering
First Advisor
Jennifer Currey
Language
English
Keywords
head loading, suface, skull, procedure, density, bone
Abstract
Head-loading is a means of transporting heavy loads accross rough, rural terrains practiced by many peoples in Third World countries. Years of practicing head-loading is said to result in increase spinal bone density and permantly grooved skulls. The most infamous people who practice head-loading are the porters of Nepal, who carry loads by means of a head sling straped across their foreheads, and South African women, who carry loads directly on their heads. To simulate and measure the instantaneous micro deformations occurring on the surface of the skull due to head-loading, a test procedure has been developed using a plastic human skull model. The effect of applying an axial load to the skull is examined using a non-contact strain deformation measuring technique known as speckle image photogrammetry. This technique uses two high resolution cameras to monitor the three dimensional deformations occurring on the outer surface of a relatively large portion of the skull. ARAMIS optical deformation software (GOM Optical Measuring Techniques) has been used to compute the strain field gradients on the surface of the model plastic skull while loaded, suggesting a similar test procedure and speckling technique can be used on a masecrated human skull.
Recommended Citation
Graveley, Matthew, "Measuring the Strain Field Gradients on the Surface of a Model Human Skull while Axially Loaded to Simulate Head-loading" (2012). Honors Theses. 824.
https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/824