Functional asymmetry in a five-link 3D bipedal walker

This paper uses a symmetrical five-link 3D biped model to computationally investigate the cause, function, and benefit of gait asymmetry. We show that for a range of mass distributions, this model has asymmetric walking patterns between the left and right legs, which is due to a phenomenon known as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:2011 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2011-01, Vol.2011, p.7820-7823
Main Authors: Gregg, R. D., Dhaher, Y., Lynch, K. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bifurcation
Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions
Humans
Legged locomotion
Propulsion
Stability analysis
Three dimensional displays
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:This paper uses a symmetrical five-link 3D biped model to computationally investigate the cause, function, and benefit of gait asymmetry. We show that for a range of mass distributions, this model has asymmetric walking patterns between the left and right legs, which is due to a phenomenon known as period-doubling bifurcation. The ground reaction forces of each leg reflect different roles, roughly corresponding to support, propulsion, and motion control as proposed by the hypothesis of functional asymmetry in human walking. These results suggest that natural mechanics could be responsible for asymmetry in able-bodied walking, rather than neurophysiological mechanisms such as leg dominance.
ISSN:1094-687X
1558-4615
2694-0604
DOI:10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6091927