Towards Robustly Stable Musculo-Skeletal Simulation of Human Gait: Merging Lumped and Component-Based Modeling Approaches

Author(s):  
Justin Seipel

The objective of work presented in this paper is to increase the center-of-mass stability of human walking and running in musculo-skeletal simulation. The approach taken is to approximate the whole-body dynamics of the low-dimensional Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) model of locomotion in the OpenSim environment using existing OpenSim tools. To more directly relate low-dimensional dynamic models to human simulation, an existing OpenSim human model is first modified to more closely represent bilateral above-knee amputee locomotion with passive prostheses. To increase stability further beyond the energy-conserving SLIP model, an OpenSim model based upon the Clock-Torqued Spring-Loaded-Inverted-Pendulum (CT-SLIP) model of locomotion is also created. The result of this work is that a multi-body musculo-skeletal simulation in Open-Sim can approximate the whole-body sagittal-plane dynamics of the passive SLIP model. By adding a plugin controller to the OpenSim environment, the Clock-Torqued-SLIP dynamics can be approximated in OpenSim. To change between walking and running, only one parameter representing the preferred period of a stride is changed. The result is a robustly stable simulation of the center-of-mass locomotion for both walking and running that could serve as a first step toward increasingly anatomically accurate and robustly stable musculo-skeletal simulations.

2010 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
pp. 263-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEYED HOSSEIN TAMADDONI ◽  
FARID JAFARI ◽  
ALI MEGHDARI ◽  
SAEED SOHRABPOUR

Human running can be stabilized in a wide range of speeds by automatically adjusting muscular properties of leg and torso. It is known that fast locomotion dynamics can be approximated by a spring loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) system, in which leg is replaced by a single spring connecting body mass to ground. Taking advantage of the inherent stability of SLIP model, a hybrid control strategy is developed that guarantees a stable biped locomotion in sagittal plane. In the presented approach, nonlinear control methods are applied to synchronize the biped dynamics and the spring-mass dynamics. As the biped center of mass follows the mass of the mass-spring model, the whole biped performs a stable locomotion corresponding to SLIP model. Simulations are done to obtain a repeatable hopping for a three-link underactuated biped model. Results show that periodic hopping gaits can be stabilized, and the presented control strategy provides feasible gait trajectories for stance and swing phases.


Author(s):  
Zhuohua Shen ◽  
Justin Seipel

The concept of passive dynamic walking and running [5] has demonstrated that a simple passive model can represent the dynamics of whole-body human locomotion. Since then, many passive models were developed and studied: [3,1,2,11]. The later developed Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) [1, 4, 11, 2] exhibits stable center of mass (CoM) motions just by resetting the landing angle at each touch down. Also, compared to SLIP, a SLIP-like model with simple flight leg control is better at resisting perturbations of the angle of velocity but not the magnitude [11, 2, 7]. Energy conserving models explain much about whole-body locomotion. Recently, there has been investigations of modified spring-mass models capable of greater stability, like that of animals and robots [9, 10, 8, 12]. Inspired by RHex [6], the Clock-Torqued Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (CT-SLIP) model [9] was developed, and has been used to explain the robust stability of animal locomotion [12]. Here we present a model (mechanism) simpler than CT-SLIP called Forced-Damped SLIP (FD-SLIP) that can attain full asymptotically stability of the CoM during locomotion, and is capable of both walking and running motions. The FD-SLIP model, having fewer parameters, is more accessible and easier to analyze for the exploration and discovery of principles of legged locomotion.


In the coming decades, humanoid robots will play a rising role in society. The present article discusses their walking control and obstacle avoidance on uneven terrain using enhanced spring-loaded inverted pendulum model (ESLIP). The SLIP model is enhanced by tuning it with an adaptive particle swarm optimization (APSO) approach. It helps the humanoid robot to reach closer to the obstacles in order to optimize the turning angle to optimize the path length. The desired trajectory, along with the sensory data, is provided to the SLIP model, which creates compatible COM (center of mass) dynamics for stable walking. This output is fed to APSO as input, which adjusts the placement of the foot during interaction with uneven surfaces and obstacles. It provides an optimum turning angle for shunning the obstacles and ensures the shortest path length. Simulation has been carried out in a 3D simulator based on the proposed controller and SLIP controller in uneven terrain.


Author(s):  
Zhuohua Shen ◽  
Justin Seipel

A reduced model of legged locomotion, called the Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) has previously been developed to predict the dynamics of locomotion. However, due to energy conservation, the SLIP model can only be partially asymptotically stable in the center-of-mass velocity. The more recently developed Clock-Torqued Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (CT-SLIP) model is fully asymptotically stable, and has a significantly larger stability basin than SLIP, but requires more than twice as many parameters. To more completely explore the parameter space and understand the reason for improved stability, we develop and analyze a further reduced model called the Forced-Damped Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (FD-SLIP) model.


Author(s):  
Steven Riddle ◽  
Justin Seipel

The clock-torqued spring-loaded inverted pendulum (CT-SLIP) model describes the robust dynamic stability properties observed in most animals and some legged robots. However, the model’s behavior is sensitive to changes in liftoff conditions such as those experienced on realistic terrain. Here the incorporation of friction at the foot-ground interface is explored on the CT-SLIP model with specific interest in improving the transient center-of-mass dynamics. Multiple friction models are presented and tuned to reflect a periodic center-of-mass gait. The transient dynamics with friction are analyzed in comparison to the CT-SLIP model and improvements to the settling time and disturbance rejection were found. This addition of foot-ground contact friction may allow for better understanding of center-of-mass system dynamics on realistic terrain.


Author(s):  
Zhuohua Shen ◽  
Justin Seipel

Although legged locomotion is better at tackling complicated terrains compared with wheeled locomotion, legged robots are rare, in part, because of the lack of simple design tools. The dynamics governing legged locomotion are generally nonlinear and hybrid (piecewise-continuous) and so require numerical simulation for analysis and are not easily applied to robot designs. During the past decade, a few approximated analytical solutions of Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP), a canonical model in legged locomotion, have been developed. However, SLIP is energy conserving and cannot predict the dynamical stability of real-world legged locomotion. To develop new analytical tools for legged robot designs, we first analytically solved SLIP in a new way. Then based on SLIP solution, we developed an analytical solution of a hip-actuated Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (hip-actuated-SLIP) model, which is more biologically relevant and stable than the canonical energy conserving SLIP model. The analytical approximations offered here for SLIP and the hip actuated-SLIP solutions compare well with the numerical simulations of each. The analytical solutions presented here are simpler in form than those resulting from existing analytical approximations. The analytical solutions of SLIP and the hip actuated-SLIP can be used as tools for robot design or for generating biological hypotheses.


Author(s):  
Dominik Budday ◽  
Fabian Bauer ◽  
Justin Seipel

The SLIP model has shown a way to easily represent the center of mass dynamics of human walking and running. For 2D motions in the sagittal plane, the model shows self-stabilizing effects that can be very useful when designing a humanoid robot. However, this self-stability could not be found in three-dimensional running, but simple control strategies achieved stabilization of running in three dimensions. Yet, 3D walking with SLIP has not been analyzed to the same extent. In this paper we show that three-dimensional humanoid SLIP walking is also unstable, but can be stabilized using the same strategy that has been successful for running. It is shown that this approach leads to the desired periodic solutions. Furthermore, the influence of different parameters on stability and robustness is examined. Using a performance test to simulate the transition from an upright position to periodic walking we show that the stability is robust. With a comparison of common models for humanoid walking and running it is shown that the simple control mechanism is able to achieve stable solutions for all models, providing a very general approach to this problem. The derived results point out preferable parameters to increase robustness promising the possibility of successfully realizing a humanoid walking robot based on 3D SLIP.


Author(s):  
John M. Schmitt

The spring loaded inverted pendulum template has been shown to accurately model the steady locomotion dynamics of a variety of running animals. While the template models the leg dynamics by an energy-conserving spring, insects and animals have structures that dissipate, store and produce energy during a stance phase. Recent investigations into the spring-like properties of limbs, as well as animal response to drop step perturbations, suggest that animals use their legs to manage energy storage and dissipation, and that this management is important for gait stability. In this paper, we extend our previous analysis of control of the spring loaded inverted pendulum template via changes in the leg touch-down angle to include energy variations during the stance phase. We incorporate energy variations through leg actuation that varies the force-free leg length during the stance phase, yet maintains qualitatively correct force and velocity profiles. In contrast to the partially asymptotically stable gaits identified in previous analyses, we find that incorporating energy and leg angle variations in this manner enables the system to recover from perturbations similar to those that might be encountered during locomotion over rough terrain.


Author(s):  
Joseph M. Munaretto ◽  
Jill L. McNitt-Gray ◽  
Henryk Flashner

In this paper, we investigated how the assumption of fixed segment lengths in two dimensional whole body dynamic models limits accuracy in reproducing experimental reaction forces and observed kinematics. A six segment whole body dynamic model of the musculoskeletal system was developed to simulate the measured forces and kinematic data during the contact phase of two somersaulting tasks performed by two Olympic level divers. Initial conditions and foot-surface model parameters were refined using optimization to ensure that change in whole body center of mass (CM) linear and angular momenta satisfied the impulse/momentum relationship for both dives and divers. Simulation results indicate that the assumption of fixed segment lengths increases error in prediction of the CM trajectory in the sagittal plane. Sensitivity analysis shows that a foot/surface model high in stiffness is more accurate in reproducing observed foot metatarsal displacement but is also more sensitive to the velocity of the metatarsals at contact than a less stiff foot-surface model. As a result, the assumption of a fixed foot segment length also affects the process of optimizing the initial conditions and foot-surface parameters. These findings suggest that a 2D representation of segment motion using fixed segment lengths is limited accuracy because the fixed length representation of segment kinematics does not reflect out of plane motion. Tracking the effect of error introduced by input kinematics on model performance is essential in the process of validating a 2D model of human movement during contact with the environment.


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