Researcher(s)
- Miguel Vasquez, Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Fabrizio Sergi, Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware
Abstract
University of Delaware Summer Scholars Abstract
Researcher: Miguel E. Vasquez, Human Robotics Lab
Validating a Method for the Estimation of Propulsive Ground Reaction Force from Healthy Individuals at Constant Walking Speeds
A fundamental parameter of healthy walking function, which is vital to performing many daily tasks, is walking speed. In fact, current rehabilitation efforts for unhealthy individuals, such as poststroke individuals, focus on increasing walking speed, as it is an indicator of eventual increased community participation. As one walks, the component of ground reaction force most influential to walking speed is the anterior (propulsive) component, and previous studies have identified that increases in the trailing limb angle (TLA) and ankle moment are linearly correlated to increases in propulsive force. Using the same quasi-static biomechanical model as in these previous studies, a theoretical mathematical relationship exists between the trailing limb angle, the vertical component of ground reaction force, and the propulsive force. A method to estimate the propulsive force based on this relationship is beneficial, as it is uncommon in clinical and experimental practice to have the ability to instrumentally measure the magnitude of this force, even though it is so influential to rehabilitation. A pilot study was conducted with 3 healthy individuals, in which the subjects walked on a split-belt treadmill at constant speeds ranging from 0.6 m/s to 1.4 m/s. A 10-camera motion-capture system was used to capture kinematic data, so that all components of force and TLA data were obtained. Motion trackers for this study were placed in a different orientation than in the afore-mentioned studies, so it is expected that correction factors to this proposed model will exist. The purpose of this project is to validate a method to estimate the propulsive component of ground reaction force based on vertical reaction force and trailing limb angle, for both peak values and across the gait-cycle time domain.