New research shows there is more at play than just a sinking feeling when you stumble during movement or trip in a hole in the ground.

Depending on the situation, a complex system of energy absorption is taking place in either the knee, hip or ankle joints to help humans recover from an unexpected change in the height of the ground on which we move.

UQ School of Biomedical Sciences researcher Dr Taylor Dick said studying the human response to perturbations, like falling into a hole, highlighted these mechanics in action.

«In getting from here to there, humans negotiate complex environments and unpredictable terrain,» Dr Dick said.

«When we’re walking down the street, nowadays typically looking down at our mobile phone, we often stumble on a curb or uneven surface, yet we understand relatively little about how the human body stays upright.

«Most of what we know about human movement comes from experiments under constant speeds and terrains — meaning no hills, bumps or abnormalities in the environment — but this isn’t very representative of everyday life.»

Dr Dick and her colleagues pulled the literal rug out from under people’s feet — and measured how they respond.

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