Quantifying Dynamic Characteristics of Human Walking for Comprehensive Gait Cycle
- 10 July 2013
- journal article
- Published by ASME International in Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
- Vol. 135 (9), 091006
- https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4024755
Abstract
Normal human walking typically consists of phases during which the body is statically unbalanced while maintaining dynamic stability. Quantifying the dynamic characteristics of human walking can provide better understanding of gait principles. We introduce a novel quantitative index, the dynamic gait measure (DGM), for comprehensive gait cycle. The DGM quantifies the effects of inertia and the static balance instability in terms of zero-moment point and ground projection of center of mass and incorporates the time-varying foot support region (FSR) and the threshold between static and dynamic walking. Also, a framework of determining the DGM from experimental data is introduced, in which the gait cycle segmentation is further refined. A multisegmental foot model is integrated into a biped system to reconstruct the walking motion from experiments, which demonstrates the time-varying FSR for different subphases. The proof-of-concept results of the DGM from a gait experiment are demonstrated. The DGM results are analyzed along with other established features and indices of normal human walking. The DGM provides a measure of static balance instability of biped walking during each (sub)phase as well as the entire gait cycle. The DGM of normal human walking has the potential to provide some scientific insights in understanding biped walking principles, which can also be useful for their engineering and clinical applications.Keywords
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Fifteen observations on the structure of energy-minimizing gaits in many simple biped modelsJournal of The Royal Society Interface, 2010
- Estimating Dynamic Gait Stability Using Data from Non-aligned Inertial SensorsAnnals of Biomedical Engineering, 2010
- Stance and swing phase costs in human walkingJournal of The Royal Society Interface, 2010
- Human Foot Placement and Balance in the Sagittal PlaneJournal of Biomechanical Engineering, 2009
- Age-related mechanical work expenditure during normal walking: The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of AgingJournal of Biomechanics, 2009
- Dynamic arm swinging in human walkingProceedings. Biological sciences, 2009
- Robot gait synthesis using the scheme of human motions skills developmentMechanism and Machine Theory, 2009
- An effective trajectory generation method for bipedal walkingRobotics and Autonomous Systems, 2007
- The influence of gait speed on local dynamic stability of walkingGait & Posture, 2007
- Compliant leg behaviour explains basic dynamics of walking and runningProceedings. Biological sciences, 2006