Scott Landry’s research at Acadia University has varied goals, from preventing athlete injuries to helping Adidas produce better sneakers.

At the John MacIntyre mLAB (motion Laboratory of Applied Biomechanics), Landry uses 13 high-speed cameras and a variety of sensors to analyze the movements of athletes as they run, jump, land, side-cut and perform other key movements. The motion-capture technology aids Landry in researching ways to enhance performance and prevent injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears often suffered while playing soccer, basketball, rugby, volleyball and football.

Acadia’s mLAB also boasts a research partnership with Adidas. Since 2012, Acadia researchers have helped the global sportswear giant assess the performance of elite athletes wearing its basketball shoes.

For example, Acadia researchers conducted some of the original performance-based testing on the Adidas Crazyquick basketball shoe, which is used by many NBA and college players.

The John MacIntyre mLAB was completed in May, thanks to $860,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust, and the Acadia Kinesiology Society.

Landry, an associate professor in Acadia’s School of Kinesiology, says the research partnership between Adidas and Acadia provides undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to do industry-based research for a global company.

“The lab offers students the opportunity to work together and gain exposure to high-level, hands-on multidisciplinary research,” he says. “Students hoping to pursue further education in physiotherapy, medicine, biomedical engineering and other health-related graduate studies are benefiting significantly from this exposure.”