A Three-Dimensional Multibody Model of the Human Ankle-Foot Complex

Author(s):  
T. M. Malaquias ◽  
S. B. Gonçalves ◽  
M. Tavares da Silva
2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Fietkau ◽  
Bernd Bertsche

This paper describes an efficient transient elastohydrodynamic simulation method for gear contacts. The model uses oil films and elastic deformations directly in the multibody simulation, and is based on the Reynolds equation including squeeze and wedge terms as well as an elastic half-space. Two transient solutions to this problem, an analytical and a numerical one, were developed. The analytical solution is accomplished using assumptions for the gap shape and the pressure in the middle of the gap. The numerical problem is solved using multilevel multi-integration algorithms. With this approach, tooth impacts during gear rattling as well as highly loaded power-transmitting gear contacts can be investigated and lubrication conditions like gap heights or type of friction may be determined. The method was implemented in the multibody simulation environment SIMPACK. Therefore it is easy to transfer the developed element to other models and use it for a multitude of different engineering problems. A detailed three-dimensional elastic multibody model of an experimental transmission is used to validate the developed method. Important values of the gear contact like normal and tangential forces, proportion of dry friction, and minimum gap heights are calculated and studied for different conditions. In addition, pressure distributions on tooth flanks as well as gap forms are determined based on the numerical solution method. Finally, the simulation approach is validated with measurements and shows good consistency. The simulation model is therefore capable of predicting transient gear contact under different operating conditions such as load vibrations or gear rattling. Simulations of complete transmissions are possible and therefore a direct determination of transmission vibration behavior and structure-borne noise as well as of forces and lubrication conditions can be done.


Author(s):  
Evandro M. Ficanha ◽  
Mohammad Rastgaar ◽  
Barzin Moridian ◽  
Nina Mahmoudian

This article compares the three-dimensional angles of the ankle during step turn and straight walking. We used an infrared camera system ( Qualisys Oqus ®) to track the trajectories and angles of the foot and leg at different stages of the gait. The range of motion (ROM) of the ankle during stance periods was estimated for both straight step and step turn. The duration of combined phases of heel strike and loading response, mid stance, and terminal stance and pre-swing were determined and used to measure the average angles at each combined phase. The ROM in Inversion/Eversion (IE) increased during turning while Medial/Lateral (ML) rotation decreased and Dorsiflexion/Plantarflexion (DP) changed the least. During the turning step, ankle displacement in DP started with similar angles to straight walk (−9.68° of dorsiflexion) and progressively showed less plantarflexion (1.37° at toe off). In IE, the ankle showed increased inversion leaning the body toward the inside of the turn (angles from 5.90° to 13.61°). ML rotation initiated with an increased medial rotation of 5.68° relative to the straight walk transitioning to 12.06° of increased lateral rotation at the toe off. A novel tendon driven transtibial ankle-foot prosthetic robot with active controls in DP and IE directions was fabricated. It is shown that the robot was capable of mimicking the recorded angles of the human ankle in both straight walk and step turn.


Geophysics ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. K. Bhattacharyya

The height of the observation surface above a magnetized region primarily determines the critical dimension of the smallest inhomogeneity in magnetization that can be resolved from magnetic survey data. When a rectangular block is smaller in size than this critical dimension, it appears homogeneously magnetized in the observed magnetic field. This consideration leads to the selection of a unit rectangular block of suitable dimensions with homogeneous magnetization. The magnetized region creating the anomalous field values in the area of observation can, therefore, be broken up into several blocks having different magnetizations, each block being equal in size and uniformly magnetized. The iterative method described here assumes initially that the anomalous field values are caused by a three‐dimensional (3-D) distribution of magnetized rectangular blocks. The optimum orientation of these blocks with respect to geographic north is then determined. This orientation is particularly insensitive to adjustments in the dimensions of the blocks. The top and bottom surfaces of each of the blocks in one or more layers are adjusted in a least‐squares sense to minimize the difference between observed and calculated field values. A method is also described for constraining the magnetization vector of each block to lie within a specified angle of the normal or reversed direction of the geomagnetic field vector. The procedure for analysis of data can also be extended to the case of anomalies over a draped surface. At the conclusion of the iterations, a 3-D distribution of magnetization is generated to delineate the magnetized region responsible for the observed anomalous magnetic field. Examples including model and aeromagnetic data are provided to demonstrate the usefulness of a generalized multibody model for inversion of magnetic anomalies.


Author(s):  
Kaifan Xie ◽  
Yueling Lyu ◽  
Xianyi Zhang ◽  
Rong Song

Humans can regulate ankle moment and stiffness to cope with various surfaces during walking, while the effect of surfaces compliance on ankle moment and stiffness regulations remains unclear. In order to find the underlying mechanism, ten healthy subjects were recruited to walk across surfaces with different levels of compliance. Electromyography (EMG), ground reaction forces (GRFs), and three-dimensional reflective marker trajectories were recorded synchronously. Ankle moment and stiffness were estimated using an EMG-driven musculoskeletal model. Our results showed that the compliance of surfaces can affect both ankle moment and stiffness regulations during walking. When the compliance of surfaces increased, the ankle moment increased to prevent lower limb collapse and the ankle stiffness increased to maintain stability during the mid-stance phase of gait. Our work improved the understanding of gait biomechanics and might be instructive to sports surface design and passive multibody model development.


1987 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiki Kihara ◽  
Masato Unno ◽  
Chikara Kitada ◽  
Hayao Kubo ◽  
Ryo Nagata

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 4509
Author(s):  
Matteo Bova ◽  
Matteo Massaro ◽  
Nicola Petrone

Bicycles and motorcycles are characterized by large rider-to-vehicle mass ratios, thus making estimation of the rider’s inertia especially relevant. The total inertia can be derived from the body segment inertial properties (BSIP) which, in turn, can be obtained from the prediction/regression formulas available in the literature. Therefore, a parametric multibody three-dimensional rider model is devised, where the four most-used BSIP formulas (herein named Dempster, Reynolds-NASA, Zatsiorsky–DeLeva, and McConville–Young–Dumas, after their authors) are implemented. After an experimental comparison, the effects of the main posture parameters (i.e., torso inclination, knee distance, elbow distance, and rider height) are analyzed in three riding conditions (sport, touring, and scooter). It is found that the elbow distance has a minor effect on the location of the center of mass and moments of inertia, while the effect of the knee distance is on the same order magnitude as changing the BSIP data set. Torso inclination and rider height are the most relevant parameters. Tables with the coefficients necessary to populate the three-dimensional rider model with the four data sets considered are given. Typical inertial parameters of the whole rider are also given, as a reference for those not willing to implement the full multibody model.


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