An engineering contribution to human gait biomechanics

More about the book

Walking is an everyday activity, yet our understanding of its mechanics and control is surprisingly limited. This gap is evident when examining contemporary anthropomorphic walking machines, which often fail to replicate the dynamic nature of human movement. While reduced models can elucidate the general mechanics of human gait and reveal potential for innovative control techniques, they are seldom utilized in the design of walking machines. This work develops a comprehensive methodological approach for validating and illustrating biomechanical concepts. By implementing simple functional models from biomechanics, it allows for testing simulation model predictions and demonstrating their applicability. A modular bipedal robot was created within an experimental environment designed for gait analysis, represented in a multi-body simulation model. The effectiveness of these scientific tools was evaluated in two studies that explored predictions from various gait models. The robot was specifically designed for ease of use, reproducible behavior, and adaptability through modularity, enabling versatile applications. By combining techniques from multiple scientific disciplines, this approach fosters communication and understanding of research on human gait across fields such as biology, kinesiology, medicine, psychology, physics, and engineering.