In this paper, we present a new mechanical model for biped locomotion, composed of three linear pendulums (one per leg and one for the whole upper body) to describe stance, swing and torso dynamics. In addition to a double support phase, this model has different actuation possibilities in the swing hip and stance ankle which produce a broad range of walking gaits. Without the need of numerical ...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether weight placed on the trunk in response to directional balance loss would enhance function and stability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). DESIGN Quasi-experimental study in which subjects served as their own controls. SETTING Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Subjects (N=16) age 20 to 65 years with MS recruited through the Northern California Chapter o...

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine mean values of isometric torso muscle profiles of four spinal postures (good posture, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis and scoliosis) among 743 children from the ages of 7 to 14 years old. It was hypothesized that having good posture, thoracic hyper-kyphosis, lumbar hyper-lordosis and scoliosis is linked to different isometric torso mus...

Cell fate choice at the anterior and posterior embryonic termini of the Drosophila embryo requires the activation of a signal transduction pathway regulated by the receptor tyrosine kinase Torso. When Torso, which is uniformly distributed in the egg cell membrane, becomes activated locally at the termini, it triggers a phosphorylation cascade that culminates with localized expression of the tra...

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an 8-week golf-specific exercise program on physical characteristics, swing mechanics, and golf performance. Fifteen trained male golfers (47.2 +/- 11.4 years, 178.8 +/- 5.8 cm, 86.7 +/- 9.0 kg, and 12.1 +/- 6.4 U.S. Golf Association handicap) were recruited. Trained golfers was defined operationally as golfers who play a round of golf a...

The forward problem of electrocardiography involves computing the potentials and currents within the body from a known electrical potential distribution or activation sequence in the heart. This paper details an efficient computational model of the human torso for use in electrocardiographic problems. The model uses a combined finite element/boundary element method which uses bicubic Hermite ba...

STUDY DESIGN A biomechanical study using human volunteers. OBJECTIVE Motorized shoulder belt tensioning is a new seatbelt technology that is likely to be incorporated into future vehicles. The objective of this study was to characterize the upper torso biomechanics of 3 sizes of adult volunteers (5th percentile female, 50th percentile male, and 95th percentile male) subjected to motorized sho...

Generating consistent maximum ball velocity is an important factor for a baseball pitcher’s success. While previous investigations have focused on the role of the upper and lower extremities, little attention has been given to the trunk. In this study it was hypothesized that variations in pelvis and upper torso kinematics within individual pitchers would be significantly associated with variat...

Turning strategies on the Sarcos Treadport, a linear treadmill locomotion interface, are developed and compared in a tight maneuvering task. A rate control strategy employing sidestep is compared to a proportional control strategy employing head gaze and torso trigger. The maneuvering task involves walking down a narrow corridor and avoiding obstacles that are placed at different separations to...

A vibrotactile display for use in navigation has been designed and evaluated. The arm and the torso, which offer relatively large and flat surface areas, were chosen as locations for the displays. The ability of subjects to identify patterns of vibrotactile stimulation on the arm and torso was tested in a series of experiments using the vibrotactile displays. A variety of patterns of stimulatio...