Pick-and-place

Moving an object from a lower surface to a higher one by hand is a common situation in daily life. A practical example related to this topic is placing plates or dishes from a kitchen work surface into overhead cabinets.

In this situation, while lifting a dish held in the hand, the initial upward phase of the movement can be achieved by elevating the arm at the shoulder joint, generating the required torque to raise the upper arm. 

To continue the movement toward the cabinet, torque is then produced at the elbow joint, along with internal-to-external rotation of the forearm, which helps transfer the load away from the shoulder joint. Finally, controlled motion at the wrist joint comes into action only to guide and orient the plate, allowing for precise and safe placement onto the cabinet surface and completing the task.

This biomechanical perspective, as well as other movement perspectives, is not limited to placing dishes in a cabinet. Similar movement strategies can be observed in many daily activities and sports-related tasks that involve moving an object from a lower to a higher level by hand.