SHREVEPORT – LSU Shreveport graduate student Augustine Nwafor earned the best poster presentation award in the category of computer science/cybersecurity and information assurance/mathematics and statistics at the 100th annual Louisiana Academy of Sciences meeting earlier this month.
The computer science student presented the project “SmartKnee,” a wearable system that monitors knee biomechanics in real time with the aim of preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
SmartKnee uses two small inertial measurement units mounted on the thigh and shin to capture three-dimensional knee motion at a rate of 100 times per second.
When the system detects dangerous movement patterns, specifically when the knee collapses inward by more than five degrees while in a vulnerable position, the system triggers both haptic feedback on the device and visual alerts on a mobile coaching dashboard.
This immediate feedback allows athletes and coaches to correct risky movements before they lead to injury.
An AI-powered assistant translates biomechanical measurements into advice for athletes and coaches.
“This was the moment when innovation meets real human need,” Nwafor said. “Winning this award validates not just my work, but the collaborative approach we have taken to tackle a real-world problem.
“With Dr. (Urska) Cvek's continued support, I am excited to see where this research goes next and how many athletes we can help protect from devastating injuries.”
Nwafor demonstrated a wearable prototype of the system, providing a tangible product rather than just a concept.
“What made the presentation stand out was the live demonstration,” said Cvek, an LSUS computer science professor. “Conference attendees could strap on the lightweight device and see their own knee angles displayed in real time on the mobile dashboard as they performed simple squats.
“People were incredibly receptive to the technology.”
Nwafor led a team of students to be finalists in the DevDays HealthTech Challenge this past November, and continued research and tweaking has led to an improved system.
Cvek assisted that team in project development and research and continues to help Nwafor.
She also delivered a talk at the annual meeting about the art of visual storytelling in science.
LSU Health Shreveport’s Dr. Giovanni Solitro, the director of the biomechanics educational laboratory, also assisted with knowledge and product design.
More than 200,000 people in the United States injure their ACLs annually, with full-blown tears requiring up to a year or more of recovery to return to competitive play.
This system could supplement the monitoring of athletic trainers and physical therapists and the manual observation they perform, potentially identifying at-risk athletes before injury occurs.
The system also stores data to build historic trends, helping to establish an athlete’s baseline and alert to times in which the athlete is more at risk, like when an athlete is fatigued and knee movements change.
