Inertial stabilization of upright posture while walking Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • The effect of inertial forces is well known in the field of dynamics and control. While such forces are often detrimental to the control of a mechanical system, specific cases can be found where self-excited oscillations will induce inertial, stabilizing effects. A classical example of this phenomenon is a Kapitza%27s pendulum, which stabilizes an inverted pendulum by means of a vertical oscillation of its base. With this in mind, the effect of inertial forces on the trunk during walking at a self-selected speed is analyzed in this work. These inertial effect are thought to be induced by the oscillation of the pelvis. Comparing a healthy to a parkinsonian gait shows that while the oscillation frequency and amplitude are very different in both cases, they provide similar inertial effects and can compensate for a marked reduction of equivalent hip stiffness. © 2021 IEEE.
  • The effect of inertial forces is well known in the field of dynamics and control. While such forces are often detrimental to the control of a mechanical system, specific cases can be found where self-excited oscillations will induce inertial, stabilizing effects. A classical example of this phenomenon is a Kapitza's pendulum, which stabilizes an inverted pendulum by means of a vertical oscillation of its base. With this in mind, the effect of inertial forces on the trunk during walking at a self-selected speed is analyzed in this work. These inertial effect are thought to be induced by the oscillation of the pelvis. Comparing a healthy to a parkinsonian gait shows that while the oscillation frequency and amplitude are very different in both cases, they provide similar inertial effects and can compensate for a marked reduction of equivalent hip stiffness. © 2021 IEEE.

publication date

  • 2021-01-01