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Title
PREDICTIVE SIMULATION OF HUMAN MOVEMENT AND APPLICATIONS TO ASSISTIVE DEVICE DESIGN AND CONTROL
Author ORCID Identifier
AccessType
Open Access Dissertation
Document Type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Program
Mechanical Engineering
Year Degree Awarded
2019
Month Degree Awarded
September
First Advisor
Frank C. Sup IV
Subject Categories
Acoustics, Dynamics, and Controls | Biomechanical Engineering | Biomechanics and Biotransport
Abstract
Predictive simulation based on dynamic optimization using musculoskeletal models is a powerful approach for studying biomechanics of human gait. Predictive simulation can be used for a variety of applications from designing assistive devices to testing theories of motor controls. However, one of the challenges in formulating the predictive dynamic optimization problem is that the cost function, which represents the underlying goal of the walking task (e.g., minimal energy consumption) is generally unknown and is assumed a priori. While different studies used different cost functions, the qualities of the gaits with those cost functions were often not provided. Therefore, this dissertation evaluates and examines different cost function forms for dynamic simulation of human walking. The problem of the walking cost function determination was cast as a bilevel optimization, which was solved using a nested evolutionary approach. The results showed cost functions based on a weighted combination of muscle-based performance criteria (e.g., metabolic cost, muscle fatigue), gait smoothness, and gait stability led to better walking solutions compared to any cost functions only based on muscle performance criteria. Further evaluations of the walking cost functions were done in the simulation cases of human walking augmented with assistive devices such as prosthesis and exoskeleton. The simulations of augmented walking were comparable to the experimental results, which suggests the potential of using the simulation approach to address problems of finding assistive device design and control.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/15099811
Recommended Citation
Nguyen, Vinh, "PREDICTIVE SIMULATION OF HUMAN MOVEMENT AND APPLICATIONS TO ASSISTIVE DEVICE DESIGN AND CONTROL" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations. 1803.
https://doi.org/10.7275/15099811
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1803
Included in
Acoustics, Dynamics, and Controls Commons, Biomechanical Engineering Commons, Biomechanics and Biotransport Commons