Joint pain: lucky you aren’t Michelangelo’s ‘David’

William Atkins
Wednesday, 02 April 2008 02:36

Science - Health

Athletic stress injuries and machine stress fractures are common. However, when you are 500 years old, like Michelangelo’s ‘David,” standing in place for hundreds of years also adds stress damage. And, now, scientists can measure cracks in structures, whether it is inanimate or human.


Engineers Vadim Shapiro (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Igor Tsukanov (Florida International University, Miami), and fellow collaborators use a method called “Scan and Solve” to measure fracturing in materials.

They specifically used the Statue of David, which was sculpted around 1502 (give or take a couple of years) by Michelangelo, actually, his full name is Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564).

One of the most recognizable stone sculptures in the history of the art world, ‘David’ is the 17-foot (5.17-meter) tall, nude marble statute of King David before to goes into battle with the mighty Goliath.

The result of their study was presented on March 18, 2008, at the International Conference on Computational and Experimental Engineering and Sciences in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Dr. Shapiro states, "This research is likely to result in a breakthrough technology for performing direct engineering analysis on physical artifacts in situ (in place).” [EurekAlert]

This engineering analysis technique helps to learn more about when such structures are likely to fail. And, their “Scan and Solve” technique has been found to be faster and more accurate than other scanning techniques and is simpler to use.

Specifically, “Scan and Solve” is a three-dimensional scan that measures stresses within materials and, then, calculates how specific forces, such as gravity, acting on these materials, affects these stress points over time.

Whether it is the sculpture (such as ‘David’), anatomical structures (such as a human leg or pelvis), or mechanical parts (such as on an airplane or automobile), the technique is able to analyze weaknesses and point to ways to solve the problem.

Additional information on the “Scan and Solve” technique is found on the University of Wisconsin website: Spatial Automation Laboratory: Scan and Solve.

Additional information on Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and how its fractures were analyzed by the “Scan and Solve” technique, please read “Tell them where it hurts.”