The Marseille Motion Science Institute

On February 20, 2008, just two weeks before Philippe Fuchs began his Paris-Beijing run, he traveled to Marseilles to help the Marseille Motion Science Institute launch an innovative study.  The objective?  Get a baseline measure of Fuchs’ stride to be used in an in-depth scientific study of the human foot.  

“It took nearly two hours to study Philippe's stride at different speeds,” said Niels Gueguen, a research engineer at the Institute. “Using treadmills, pressure sensors and cameras, we were able to record a considerable amount of data such as his movement, the length of his strides, the different types of pressure he exerts as well as the impact sustained by the foot when it touches the ground. We will compare this data with that of less-seasoned runners. This will help us better understand how the foot of an experienced athlete functions during a marathon. And, when Philippe Fuchs returns from Beijing, we will study his stride again in order to note the changes that occurred during the trek.”

Through a partnership with the Institue, Dassault Systèmes is providing the laboratory with its 3D software solutions and expertise.  Gueguen added, “Our current means do not allow us to understand what goes on inside the foot.  But, thanks to the realistic simulation solutions provided by Dassault Systèmes’ SIMULIA brand, we will finally be able to check in 3D  how muscles act, to what extent bones contribute to movement and what consequences the impact of the ground induces on the foot.”

This ambitious project, a true scientific challenge, aims to improve the prevention and treatment of accidents and contribute to the design of prosthetics.  “We appreciate the fact that Dassault Systèmes supports us,” said Gueguen.  “Philippe was kind enough to become the project’s first ‘guinea pig’. We are quite honored and will work in close collaboration with the Dassault Systèmes teams.   This is the first time such experiments are done on a professional athlete.”

The establishment of a scientifically valid 3D model of the foot will undoubtedly be the first step to the establishment of 3D model of the entire human body.