The Human Biomechanics and Control Laboratory (HBCL) studies the mechanics, energetics, and control of human movement. The laboratory is headed by Prof. Art Kuo of the Departments of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, and its personnel consist of graduate and undergraduate students from these departments.

Mechanics refers to the importance of the dynamics of the human body in nearly all movements. Inertia of the limbs and other body segments places constraints on what movements are possible, and how much effort is needed to produce them. Muscles have mechanical properties such as elasticity that also constrain or determine movements. Laboratory techniques for studying mechanics includes analytical models, computational simulations, and recordings of kinematics and forces produced during movements.

Energetics refers to the metabolic or chemical energy expended by humans to produce movement. Minimization of energy expenditure is an important factor in most movements. It may be estimated through measurements of oxygen consumption. The HBCL incorporates models and/or measurements of energetics in many studies.

Control refers to the central nervous system's influence through feedback and feedforward commands to the muscles. The HBCL applies methods of control systems design and analysis to the study of human movement.