By Bryan Vomacka
Anyone who goes to school or works at UNO has no doubt seen the construction on the south side of Dodge Campus. Many people do not know that that building is a renowned biomechanics research facility.
Biomechanics is the study of forces on the human body and the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s biomechanics team studies the biomechanics of walking. You have likely seen them working with people in the Health and Kinesiology building.
They use exercise intervention, prosthetic limbs and virtual reality to aid in movement. Their goal is to improve peoples’ lives while also making the experience interesting and unique.
Opened in 2013, the biomechanics building was originally 23,000 square feet. With the new expansion of 30,000 square feet, the building will more than double in size six years after opening.
Groundbreaking started in the spring of 2018 on the $11.6 million expansion. It is on pace for its scheduled September 2019 opening.
The new building will feature walking labs, virtual reality labs, an underwater treadmill, and an animal lab that studies the movement of cockroaches.
Jeff Kaipust, the Assistant Director for Biomechanics at UNO, calls the facility “Omaha’s best kept secret.”
