How

S6 is Literacy with dashes of Science and Technology

Olympic athletes and other sports participants understand that science and technology play gargantuan roles. Human bodies are non-rigid objects. Physical principles dictate results and these can be understood and predictive.

Movement of a non-rigid body is the sum of the movements of its component parts. Biomechanics break the body into rigid segments.

Likewise, community is a non-rigid body. S6 blends together component parts of our civic landscape and forms a dance of will, might and grace.

Coaching and Science Chatter

Some coaching systems use 16 segments: the upper and lower limbs, the hands and feet, the head, and three parts of the trunk. To figure out where these segments are located, and which direction they are moving at any time, various (21 or more) "landmarks," including major joints, and some surface points such as the top of the head and the tips of the toes, are strategically located to tell us where the segments are. From knowing the motion of each segment, one can calculate the overall movement of the body.

A human body in motion in space, like a cannonball, will follow an elliptical arc. At least, its center of gravity will follow that arc. Once the body leaves the ground, there's no way to alter the path of the center of gravity. But a high-jumper can alter the relative movement of various parts of the body.

Analysis originates from two or more video cameras. Generally, the cameras are located about 90 degrees apart, positioned so various body landmarks remain visible as long as possible. The films are later projected onto a digitizing tablet and a computer converts the x, y, z coordinates for three-dimensional geometry and z represents altitude. Using a succession, stick figures and wire-frame models portray specific portions of the movement. When analyzing coaches can then better show the athletes how to optimize acceleration, rotation and body placement.

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