The objective of this program is to develop a fundamental understanding of balance control phenomena and to propose a practical balance test which will be acceptable for both elderly and healthy, young people with Cerebral Palsy and without. There is a need for new engineering concepts of human body analysis in the presence of uncertainties and balance control input signals. Is the control strategy at the kinematic muscle level, or does a certain regulator exist between center of pressure and center of mass signals? Is the human body actively or passively adaptive, or is there a self-tuning system? Use of automatic control concepts will provide new insights into the knowledge of human movement control and provide the tools for analysis of stochastic disturbances and time-varying balance process dynamics.

Dr. Gielo-Perczak is interested in broad analysis of balance control combined with neuro-ecological control of human environments. She proposes inclusion of affordance-, emotion-, and intuition- based models of human performance, namely: learning, adaptive and tuning control, respectively into balance control.

Related Publications – Journal Papers

Chen, SJ, Gielo-Perczak, K. (2011): Effect of impeded medial longitudinal arch drop on vertical ground reaction force and center of pressure during static loading, Foot & Ankle International. 32(1):77-84.

DiDomenico A., Gielo-Perczak K., McGorry R., Chang C. (2010). Effects of simulated occupational task parameters on balance. Applied Ergonomics 41(3):484-9.

Gielo-Perczak K., Karwowski W., Rodrick D. (2009). Nonlinear behavior of the center of pressure in simulated standing on elevated construction beams. Work. Journal of Prevention, Assessment, & Rehabilitation, 34(2):195-203.

Redfern, M. S., Cham, R., Gielo-Perczak, K., Grönqvist, R., Hirvonen, M., Lanshammar, H., Marpet, M., & Pai, C. Y.-C. (2001). Biomechanics of slips. Ergonomics, 44(13), 1138-1166.

Grönqvist, R., Abeysekera, J., Gard, G., Hsiang, S. M., Leamon, T. B., Newman, D. J., Gielo-Perczak, K., Lockhart, T. E., & Pai, C. Y.-C. (2001). Human-centered approaches in slipperiness measurement. Ergonomics, 44(13), 1167-1199.

Winter, D. A., Patla, A. E., Prince, F., Ishac, M., & Gielo-Perczak, K.. (1998). Stiffness control of balance in quiet standing. Journal of Neurophysiology, 80, 1211-1221.

Book Chapters

Gielo-Perczak, K., Maynard, W. S., & DiDomenico, A. (2006). Multidimensional aspects of slips and falls. In R. Williges (Ed.), Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics (Vol. 2, pp. 165-194). Santa Monica, CA: The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Grönqvist, R., Abeysekera, J., Gard, G., Hsiang, S. M., Leamon, T. B., Newman, D. J., Gielo-Perczak, K., Lockhart, T. E., & Pai, C. Y.-C. (2003). Human-centred approaches in slipperiness measurement. In W.-R. Chang, T. K. Courtney, R. Grönqvist, & M. S. Redfern (Eds.), Measuring Slipperiness: Human Locomotion and Surface Factors (pp. 67-99). London: Taylor & Francis.

Redfern, M. S., Cham, R., Gielo-Perczak, K., Grönqvist, R., Hirvonen, M., Lanshammar, H., Marpet, M., Pai, C. Y.-C., & Powers, C. (2003). Biomechanics of slips. In W.-R. Chang, T. K. Courtney, R. Grönqvist, & M. S. Redfern (Eds.), Measuring Slipperiness: Human Locomotion and Surface Factors (pp. 37-65). London: Taylor & Francis.

Conference Proceedings

Tuite, E., Martori, A., Gielo-Perczak, K., Mendelson, Y., Goggins, K. (2011): Design of Individual Balance Control Device Utilized During the Sit-to-Stand Task”, Proceedings XXIIIrd International Society of Biomechanics (No. 941), July 3-7, Brussels, Belgium.

Debayo, O., George, L., Marchand, M., Marrion, J., Gielo-Perczak, K., Higgins, L., Hoffman, A. (2011): Design of a new prosthetic alignment adaptor with quantitative alignment and height adjustment. Bioengineering Conference (NEBEC), Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE 37th Annual Northeast, (Digital Identifier 10.1109/ NEBEC.2011. 5778538), April 1-3, Troy, NY.

DiDomenico, A., Gielo-Perczak, K., McGorry, R. W., & Chang, C.-C. (2007). Limitations of postural stability ratings. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 51st Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. pp.1219-1223.

DiDomenico, A., Gielo-Perczak, K., McGorry, R. W., & Chang, C.-C. (2007). Influences of center of pressure and body segment movements on perceptions of postural stability. No.305611, Abstracts of the 18th Conference of the International Society for Posture and Gait Research, Vermont.

Gielo-Perczak, K., DiDomenico, A., McGorry, R. W., & Chang, C.-C. (2006). Assessment of balance control while standing on a narrow beam. Abstracts of the 5th World Congress of Biomechanics – Munich, Germany: Journal of Biomechanics, vol. 39, Suppl. 1, No. 5231, S507.

Chen, S.-J., Mercer, J. Gielo-Perczak, K., (2001). Effects of arch support on changes in arch height and center of pressure under different foot positions while loading. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Society of Biomechanics, San Diego, CA. p. 353.

Gielo-Perczak, K., Patla, A. E., & Winter, D. A. (1999). Analysis of the combined effects of stiffness and damping of body system on the strategy of the control during quiet standing. Abstracts of the XVIIth Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics, Calgary, Canada, p. 832.

Gielo-Perczak, K., Patla, A. E., & Winter, D. A. (1998). Modeling of structural random response of body system during quiet standing. Proceedings of the North American Congress on Biomechanics, Waterloo, Canada, pp. 259-260.

Winter, D. A., Patla, A. E., Prince, F., Ishac, M. Gielo-Perczak, K., (1998). Stiffness control of quiet standing. Proceedings of the North American Congress on Biomechanics, Waterloo, Canada, pp. 301-302.

Gielo-Perczak, K., Patla, A. E., & Winter, D. A. (1997). Formulation of the body stiffness. Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium of International Society for Postural and Gait Research on Multisensory Control of Posture & Gait, Paris, France.