Passive Dynamic Walking
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Analysis of design and control principles for a mechanism that can
perform dynamically stable locomotion without active energy input. It is
possible to find a limit cycle for three-dimensional
locomotion. There are various ways to ensure the stability of this limit
cycle. For more information, go to the
UM Passive Walking
web page.
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Mechanics and Control of Human Walking
- Experimental and theoretical studies of human locomotion. Theoretical studies of the mechanical energetics of walking and running. Experiments on the metabolic energetics of locomotion.
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Design of Prosthetic Feet
- Development of new technologies to improve economy of walking for lower limb amputees.
Adaptive Model of Sensorimotor Control of Human Balance
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Modeling of the functions necessary to regulate balance subject to
biological constraints such as the anatomical features of the central nervous
system--an interdisciplinary project involving neurophysiologists and
engineers.
Age-Related Changes in Balance Control
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As persons age, they experience degradation in each of the major sensory organs necessary for balance: vision, vestibular organs, and proprioceptors. They also experience degradation of the central control mechanisms and of the muscles which actuate the system. Modeling of the control system can be used to indicate what combinations of disabilities affect its stability most, and may be useful for diagnosing some impairments or prescribing appropriate rehabilitation.
Force Feedback Control and Human Perception
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Analysis of how robots can be programmed to provide useful information content when interfaced with humans (through haptic interfaces, virtual reality, etc.), based on knowledge of dynamic characteristics of biological sensors and central nervous system processing.
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Feasible Outputs of Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Systems
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Methods to characterize the set of possible outputs when the inputs to a system are known to be bounded and subject to certain constraints. Applicable to control or optimal design of complex systems.
Automatic Generation of Equations of Motion
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A software package that can be used to analyze dynamics of arbitrary
multibody systems, which is both more flexible and more convenient than
existing packages-to be linked with routines to analyze these equations. The Dynamics Workbench is a Mathematica package, and is available for download.