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Karl Zelik

Oct 1 • 8 tweets • 7 min read

@jointbme

This week, I enjoyed visiting the vibrant, creative, & interdisciplinary researchers in @jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC.

I gave a seminar on lessons from translational #biomechanics R&D.

I shared 6 actionable tips to improve iterative, user-centric development in academic labs: 🧵

@jointbme

@jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC 1. Spend more time with users

• Get to know users deeply
• Don't focus conversations on your research/tech
• Give time for users to discuss their life & pain points

Use info to build user stories that complement technical requirements, & help prioritize studies or features

@jointbme

@jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC 2. Perform early user testing

• Most academics involve users too late
• People often feel they need a good prototype
• But this is a missed opportunity

There are lots of ways to test with and learn from users before you have a complete prototype or formal study protocol.

@jointbme

@jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC 3. Adopt a design framework

• You don't have to create your own
• In our lab we use Modified Agile for Hardware Development
• Spliced with some tips from @theleanstartup

Most academics were never trained to do iterative user-centric design; but that's ok, you can learn how!

@jointbme

@jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC @theleanstartup 4. Embrace a junkyard mentality

• Think Junkyard Wars (old TV show)
• Having materials, tools & random junk around is enabling
• Explain to your team the value of quick & dirty prototyping

The goal early in development is often to build-test-learn as quickly as possible.

@jointbme

@jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC @theleanstartup 5. Delay systematic research gratification

• Not everything needs to be a formal study
• Quick user tests or interviews to inform design are valuable
• Often these activities are not systematic research

Talk to your IRB about how to structure and streamline this type of work

@jointbme

@jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC @theleanstartup 6. Use single-subject test protocols

• Our field is overly enamored w/ group-level statistical tests (t-test, ANOVA)
• But often these are unnecessary in early dev.

The initial goal is to assess feasibility, not generalizability; so I find ABA tests are often better & faster.

@jointbme

@jointbme @CLEAR_NCSU_UNC @theleanstartup TL/DR

1. Spend more time with users

2. Perform early user testing

3. Adopt a design framework

4. Embrace a junkyard mentality

5. Delay systematic research gratification

6. Use single-subject protocols for rapid testing

#innovation #development #academia #biomechanics

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More from @KarlZelik

Karl Zelik

@KarlZelik

Aug 29

Want to improve your scientific presentations?

Every great seminar and conference speaker I've seen in my 15 years as an academic researcher did these 10 things. These can 10x your research visibility and impact. And this will unleash new opportunities. 🔥🚀

Let's dive in:

1. Start with something engaging

• Funny story
• Personal anecdote
• Interesting statistic (that the audience doesn't know)

The first thing you say determines whether the audience will be leaning in to listen or picking up their phone to check email. Act accordingly #SciComm

2. Explain the significance

• What's the broader impact on your field?
• What's the future impact on society?
• Why should anyone care?

It doesn't matter if you're presenting to experts in your field or a broad audience. Succinctly and clearly explain why your work matters.

Read 14 tweets

Karl Zelik

@KarlZelik

Jan 6, 2021

Occupational #wearables for monitoring low back load have potential to improve ergonomic assessments & enable personalized, continuous monitoring of overexertion injury risk in the workplace.
#biomechanics #ergonomics

Encouraged by what we discovered:
mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/2…

1/

We wanted to know: if we can only use a small number of wearable sensors to monitor low back loading, then which sensors should we use, where should we place them, what type of algorithm should we employ, & how accurately can we monitor back loading during material handling?

2/

To address this we synchronously collected data from the #biomechanics lab & from #wearables to analyze 10 individuals each performing 400 different material handling tasks. We explored dozens of candidate solutions that used IMUs on various body locations & pressure insoles.

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Read 12 tweets

Karl Zelik

@KarlZelik

Oct 27, 2020

@leonscottmd

Four years ago @leonscottmd asked if we could use #wearables to monitor & eventually reduce bone stress injury risks in runners. Based on our latest #biomechanics study I'm more & more convinced answer is going to be: Yes!

What we figured out so far:
authors.elsevier.com/c/1byHRcBxf01UA

1/

Here's a few things to discuss...

#1 what causes overuse injuries like stress fractures?

#2 how do current wearables assess injury risk?

#3 benefits of multi-sensor algorithms

#4 epidemiological evidence from occupational health suggests this approach can work

2/

#1 What causes stress fractures (& other overuse injuries)?

Converging, multidisciplinary evidence indicates overuse injuries are consistent with a mechanical fatigue failure process, in which tissues accumulate microdamage due to repetitive loading. (Fig from Edwards 2018)

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Read 34 tweets

Karl Zelik

@KarlZelik

Sep 29, 2020

Excited to share our new #biomechanics publication on the effect of low-profile elastic #exosuits on back muscle fatigue. #exoskeleton #exosuit

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Challenging experiment, but we learned a lot in the process. Here are the top 4 lessons I took away....

1/

@lamers_erik

First, huge kudos to lead author @lamers_erik who completed his PhD last month!

During his time @CREATEatVandy he completed a series of studies on quasi-passive wearable assistive devices spanning from foot prostheses to back-assist exosuits

Super proud of the work he did!

2/

Next some background: When I talk to scientists they often want to know how much exosuits reduce muscle activity, or joint torque, or metabolic rate, or about the optimal assistance levels, specific design features, etc.

And I love this technical aspect of research, but...

3/

Read 37 tweets

Karl Zelik

@KarlZelik

Jun 26, 2020

Whoop recently reported a "Novel Algorithm Capable of Identifying 80% of Symptomatic COVID-19 Cases" using #Wearables.

Interesting study. Glad they're exploring & sharing findings.

But what caught my eye were the low Sensitivity values reported in the study preprint...
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I'd love to get input/perspective from folks w/ experience/expertise in diagnostic & screening tests.

Thoughts? Comments? Implications of this level of Sensitivity?

Basically: Is the algorithm promising? Why or why not?

Here's link to preprint:
medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
2/

For those unfamiliar with Sensitivity and Specificity of diagnostic or screening tests, here's a nice 3-minute video introduction:

3/

Read 5 tweets

Karl Zelik

@KarlZelik

Apr 10, 2020

@BiomechanicsDay

Thanks for all the great @BiomechanicsDay posts, videos & memories shared this week! Refreshing, energizing & inspiring! @CREATEatVandy & I posted on a few social media sites. Compiling here into #NBD2020 ode to #biomechanics! What biomech is to us...

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#Biomechanics is about improving lives. Improving mobility & independence for those w/ disabilities. Preventing injury & sustaining health in others.

We aim to advance understanding of how people move, & translate science/engineering out of the lab.

2/

engineering.vanderbilt.edu/create/

@EmilyMatijevich

#Biomechanics is studying human movement and musculoskeletal loading to inform how we design #wearables, #exoskeletons and #exosuits to support and protect manual material handlers and other workers in physically demanding jobs.

@EmilyMatijevich @lamers_erik @volgy
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