RK Rose+Krieger supplies innovative modular flooring to biomechanical laboratories

RK Rose+Krieger GmbH System- & Lineartechnik has designed a modular flooring system that facilitates versatile force plate positioning. Additions such as stairs, ramps or workstations may also be integrated. The system, registered for patent approval, is based on Rose+Krieger''s BLOCAN® aluminium profiles. The modular flooring has already been tested – and approved – by the movement laboratory at the Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart. The modular flooring system helps ensure the level insertion of force plates. This makes it possible to obtain and visualise precise information about forces affecting the different impact points. No adjustments need to be made to the sub-structure: the individual flooring plates are attached to a base made of BLOCAN® aluminium profiles – for versatile handling combined with absolute stability. The system is compatible with all standard types of measuring system; customers may select the flooring surface to suit their requirements. The individual modules can be manually swapped around, allowing the user to arrange and secure measuring and running plates as needed. Other additions such as camera systems and workstations can be set up as required. The versatile modules also make it possible to simulate inclined planes and staircases.

Recording and analysing movement sequences

The RK Rose+Krieger modular flooring has already been approved by the movement laboratory at the Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart. The biomechanical laboratory conducts research into human movement sequences and the forces involved. Over an area of 90 square metres, with a maximum running track of 12 metres, the movement and strain data of test subjects can be recorded with a huge degree of precision. The entire laboratory consists of BLOCAN® aluminium profiles and tube connectors supplied from the RK product range. In the process, the modular flooring system allows the sensitive measuring elements to be positioned within the space as required: beneath/in the plates there is space for sensors, cables and channels, as well as additional equipment – as soon as something is needed elsewhere, it can simply be re-positioned. In addition to these special versatile force plates inserted in the flooring, the experts at the Fraunhofer Institute use infra-red cameras to capture 3D movement, mobile load cells, high speed video cameras, as well as pressure and muscle activity measuring systems.