Thomas Uchida

Thomas K. Uchida, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Mechanical Engineering

University of Ottawa

Welcome to my site! I am an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ottawa. My research interests include developing new methods for modelling and simulating dynamic systems, applying these methods to further our understanding of human movement, and disseminating powerful computational tools to accelerate discovery and improve health.

Biomechanics of Movement: The Science of Sports, Robotics, and Rehabilitation is now available from MIT Press. See below for more information.

I help develop and support OpenSim, open-source software for modelling musculoskeletal systems and generating simulations of human and animal movement. Check out our recent paper featured on the cover of PLoS Computational Biology.

Biomechanics of Movement

How do Olympic sprinters run so fast? Why do astronauts adopt a bounding gait on the moon? How do running shoes improve performance while preventing injuries? This engaging and generously illustrated book answers these questions by examining human and animal movement through the lens of mechanics.

The authors present simple conceptual models to study walking and running and apply mechanical principles to a range of interesting examples. They explore the biology of how movement is produced, examining the structure of a muscle down to its microscopic force-generating motors. Drawing on their deep expertise, the authors describe how to create simulations that provide insight into muscle coordination during walking and running, suggest treatments to improve function following injury, and help design devices that enhance human performance.

Learn more at biomech.stanford.edu.