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Locomotion Laboratory
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start [2019/08/30 14:50]
Maziar Sharbafi [Stance and Swing Detection Based on the Angular Velocity of Lower Limb Segments During Walking]
start [2020/01/08 13:05]
Martin Grimmer [Review of balance recovery in response to external perturbations during daily activities]
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 ====== News ====== ====== News ======
  
-  * {{::ansymb_logo_i.png?90 | Teaching course ANSYMB II}} **Running upcoming winter term!** [[http://www.ansymb.tu-darmstadt.de/  Analysis and Synthesis of Human Movements]] +  * {{::ansymb_logo_i.png?90 | Teaching course ANSYMB II}} **Running this winter term!** [[http://www.ansymb.tu-darmstadt.de/  Analysis and Synthesis of Human Movements]]
-====== Pick of the Month  ======+
  
  
-==== Parallel compliance design for increasing robustness and efficiency in legged locomotion-proof of concept ====+====== Latest Publications ======
  
 +==== Review of balance recovery in response to external perturbations during daily activities  ====
  
 +Balance related responses to perturbations were investigated in one of our latest studies by Dr. Dario Tokur, Dr. [[lab_members:lab_members_martingrimmer|Martin Grimmer]] and Prof. Andre Seyfarth. The work was recently published in [[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2019.102546|Human Movement Science]]. 
 +
 +{{ ::perturbation.png?300|}}
  
-A new concept for simultanous design and control of parallel compliance is introduced in this research. The analytical design approach is based on hybrid zero dynamics control method and the goal is increasing robustness in locomotion. This study is presented in a recently published paper by Sharbafi et al., in by Grimmer et al. in [[https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=8716548|IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics]].  
  
-{{ :5link.png?205|}} 
-{{ :acrobat.png?250|}} 
  
 **Abstract:**  **Abstract:** 
 +Balance is an essential capability to ensure upright standing and locomotion. Various external perturbations challenge our balance in daily life and increase the risk for falling and associated injury. Researchers try to identify the human mechanisms to maintain balance by intentional perturbations. The objectives of this work were to point out which areas of perturbation based research are well covered and not well covered and to extract which coping mechanisms humans use to respond to external perturbations. A literature review was performed to analyze mechanisms in response to external perturbations such as pushes to the body or ground level changes during standing, walking, running and hopping. To get a well-structured overview on the two dimensions, the perturbation type and the task, the Perturbation Matrix (PMA) was designed. We found that multiple studies exist for the tasks walking and standing, while hopping and running are covered less. However, all tasks still offer opportunities for both in-depth and fundamental research. Regarding the recovery mechanisms we found that humans can recover from various types of perturbations with versatile mechanisms using combinations of trunk, as well as upper and lower limb movements. The recovery movements will adapt depending on the perturbation intensity, direction and timing. Changes in joint kinetics, joint kinematics and muscle activity were identified on the joint level and leg stiffness and leg length on the global leg level. We believe that the insights from the extracted mechanisms may be applied to the hardware and control of robotic limbs or lower limb exoskeletons to improve the balance and robustness during standing or locomotion.
  
-Benefiting from serial compliance in series elastic actuators can be considered as a breakthrough in robotics. Recently, applying the parallel compliance in robot designs is growing based on its advantages such as reduction in consumed torques. In this paper, we aim at employing parallel compliance to increase walking robustness of bipedal robots against model uncertainties. Utilizing passive compliant elements instead of adapting the controller in order to cope with uncertainties makes the system more efficient and less sensitive to measurement issues such as delays and noise. We introduce a methodology for designing both parallel compliance and controller using hybrid zero dynamics concept. This study includes simulation results representing the design approach and preliminary experiments on parallel compliance effects on efficiency of a robot joint position control. The simulations comprise a compass gait (2-link) model and a 5-link model (see the figures). The ground slope and robot segment lengths are considered as uncertain parameters in the first and second models, respectively. The control target is met by the insertion of compliant structures parallel to the actuators. In order to employ the proposed method on a real robot, we suggest using pneumatic air muscles as parallel compliant elements. Pilot experiments on the knee joint of BioBiped3 robot support the feasibility of suggested method. 
  
  
 +For further projects and publications of [[lab_members:lab_members_martingrimmer|M. Grimmer]] please check: [[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin_Grimmer3|ResearchGate]], [[https://scholar.google.de/citations?hl=de&user=gDF_uHUAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate|Google Scholar]], [[https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1921-1433|ORCID]] or [[https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/390560/overview|LOOP]]
 +\\
  
-For further publications of the author please check: [[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maziar_Ahmad_Sharbafi|ResearchGate]], [[https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=MENjywMAAAAJ&hl=en|Google Scholar]], [[https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5727-7527|ORCID]] or [[https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/254590/overview|LOOP]]+==== Biomechanical effects of passive hip springs during walking  ==== 
 + 
 +The effects of passive springs at the hip were investigated in a collaboration project of Florian Haufe, Peter Wolf and Robert Riener from the [[https://sms.hest.ethz.ch/|Sensory-Motor Systems Lab]] from ETH Zurich and [[lab_members:lab_members_martingrimmer|Martin Grimmer]] from the Lauflabor. The work was recently published in the [[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021929019306797|Journal of Biomechanics]].  
 + 
 +{{ ::passive_hip_spring.jpg?400|}} 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +**Abstract:**  
 + 
 +Passive spring-like structures can store and return energy during cyclic movements and thereby reduce the energetic cost of locomotion. That makes them important components of the human body and wearable assistive devices alike. This study investigates how springs placed anteriorly across the hip joint affect leg joint angles and powers, and leg muscle activities during level walking at 0.5 to 2.1 m/s. 
 + 
 +We hypothesized that the anterior hip springs (I) load hip extension, (II) support hip flexion and (III) affect ankle muscle activity and dynamics during walking. Effects at the ankle were expected because hip and ankle redistribute segmental power in concert to achieve forward progression. 
 + 
 +We observed that the participants’ contribution to hip power did not increase during hip extension as the spring stored energy. Simultaneously, the activities of plantarflexor muscles that modulate energy storage in the Achilles tendon were reduced by 28% (gastrocnemius medialis) and 9% (soleus). As the spring returned energy with the onset of hip flexion, the participants’ contribution to hip power was reduced by as much as 23%. Soleus activity before push-off increased by up to 9%. 
 + 
 +Instead of loading hip extension, anterior hip springs seem to store and return parts of the energy normally exchanged with the Achilles tendon. Thereby, the springs support hip flexion but may reduce elastic energy storage in and hence recoil from the Achilles tendon. This interaction should be considered during the design and simulation of wearable assistive devices as it might – depending on user characteristics – enhance or diminish their overall functionality. 
 + 
 + 
 +For further projects and publications of [[lab_members:lab_members_martingrimmer|M. Grimmer]] please check: [[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin_Grimmer3|ResearchGate]], [[https://scholar.google.de/citations?hl=de&user=gDF_uHUAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate|Google Scholar]], [[https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1921-1433|ORCID]] or [[https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/390560/overview|LOOP]]
 \\ \\
 +
 +===== Biarticular muscles are most responsive to upper-body pitch perturbations in human standing =====
 +
 +Our latest publication features the results of [[http://lauflabor.ifs-tud.de/doku.php?id=lab_members:lab_members_christian_schumacher|Christian]]'s lab visit in the [[http://dbl.tudelft.nl/|Delft Biorobotics Lab]]. The study investigates important muscle groups to maintain an upright body posture when being perturbed. For this purpose, he used a novel type of balance perturbation, a control moment gyroscope (see Figure) that exerts a torque on the subject's upper body. Find more information in the published paper: [[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50995-3|Link to Scientific Reports]]. 
 +
 +{{ :gyro.jpg?nolink&600|[[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50995-3|Link to Scientific Reports]] }}  
 +
 +**Abstract:** 
 +Balancing the upper body is pivotal for upright and efficient gait. While models have identified potentially useful characteristics of biarticular thigh muscles for postural control of the upper body, experimental evidence for their specific role is lacking. Based on theoretical findings, we hypothesised that biarticular muscle activity would increase strongly in response to upper-body perturbations. To test this hypothesis, we used a novel Angular Momentum Perturbator (AMP) that, in contrast to existing methods, perturbs the upper-body posture with only minimal effect on Centre of Mass (CoM) excursions. The impulse-like AMP torques applied to the trunk of subjects resulted in upper-body pitch deflections of up to 17° with only small CoM excursions below 2 cm. Biarticular thigh muscles (biceps femoris long head and rectus femoris) showed the strongest increase in muscular activity (mid- and long-latency reflexes, starting 100 ms after perturbation onset) of all eight measured leg muscles which highlights the importance of biarticular muscles for restoring upper-body balance. These insights could be used for improving technological aids like rehabilitation or assistive devices, and the effectiveness of physical training for fall prevention e.g. for elderly people.
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 [[publications:publications_podcasts_pick_of_the_month|Read previous news...]] [[publications:publications_podcasts_pick_of_the_month|Read previous news...]]