We quantified four gait characteristics (stride length, stride frequency, step length and floating distance) over a range of running speeds in 11 lacertid lizard species known to vary in maximal sprint speed and microhabitat use. For each species, we measured snout-vent length (SVL), body mass and hindlimb length. We tested which variables determine sprint speed, how each species modulates spri...

The causes of bilateral asymmetries during able-bodied gait are unclear. These asymmetries may represent a form of functional asymmetry, which has been defined as a consistent task discrepancy between the two lower limbs. According to this theory, the non-dominant lower limb contributes more to support, while the dominant lower limb contributes more to forward propulsion. Impulses due to vertic...

A questionnaire survey of 22 selected transfemoral amputees who were switched from pneumatic swing phase control knee joints (PSPC) to microprocessor controlled intelligent knee joints (IP) is presented. On overall rating all respondents considered the IP to be an improvement or a great improvement compared to the PSPC and none decided to revert back or wished to use their previous PSPC prosthe...

Children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy (CP) have several gait impairments, amongst which impaired gait stability may be one. We tested whether a newly developed stability measure (the foot placement estimator, FPE) which does not require long data series, can be used to asses gait stability in typically developing (TD) children as well as children with CP. In doing so, we tested the FPE's sens...

Recently, researchers in robotics have used regulation of the angular momentum of body segments about the total body center of mass (CoM) to develop control strategies for bipedal gait. This work was spurred by reports finding that for a "large class" of human movement tasks, including standing, walking, and running the angular momentum is conserved about the CoM. However, there is little data ...

The profiles of the linear envelopes of surface electromyograms of seven major muscles in adults were studied as a function of walking speed. The ensemble statistical properties of average and standard deviation were used to quantitate the characteristics of the electromyographic patterns. Analysis of variance was used to indicate periods in the gait stride that were effected by walking speed. ...

Humans do not generally walk at constant speed, except perhaps on a treadmill. Normal walking involves starting, stopping and changing speeds, in addition to roughly steady locomotion. Here, we measure the metabolic energy cost of walking when changing speed. Subjects (healthy adults) walked with oscillating speeds on a constant-speed treadmill, alternating between walking slower and faster tha...

In order to predict a pedestrian’s walking speed on stairs from his/her characteristics of and those of the stairs, the relationship between the walking speed of a pedestrian on stairs and his/her characteristics, and the relationship between the pedestrians’ walking speeds on stairs and the stair-gradients were investigated. It is suggested that Leg Extensor Power shows a strong correlation to...

It has been suggested that angular momentum in the horizontal plane during human gait is controlled (i.e., kept minimal). However, this has not been explored in conditions when angular momentum of different segments is manipulated explicitly. In order to examine the behavior of angular momentum, 12 participants walked in 17 conditions in which angular momentum of either the arms or legs was man...

This study investigated the required coefficient of friction (RCOF) and the tangent of center of mass (COM)-center of pressure (COP) angle in the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions during turning at different walking speeds. Sixteen healthy young adults (8 males and 8 females) participated in this study. The participants were instructed to conduct trials of straight walking a...