Purpose: Little information is available on joint kinematic adaptations during walking on cross-slope surfaces (i.e. a surface incline perpendicular to the direction of locomotion). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cross-slope surfaces on three-dimensional (3D) kinematics of hip, knee, and ankle joints during stance phase of walking.  Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study...

This paper investigates whether torso force feedback on treadmillstyle locomotion interfaces can substitute for treadmill tilt to simulate walking on smooth inclines. The experimental platform is the Sarcos Treadport, whose active mechanical tether can apply horizontal forces to the user to simulate the gravity forces experienced in slope walking. The authors show that users are extremely sensi...

Determination was made of step length, stride width, time factors and deviation in the center of pressure during up- and downslope walking in 17 healthy men between the ages of 19 and 34 using a force plate. Slope inclinations were set at 3, 6, 9 and 12 degrees. At 12 degrees, walking speed, the product of step length and cadence, decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) in both up- and downs...

This paper describes the biomechanical experimental validation of simulating side slope during walking on a treadmill style locomotion interface. The side slope effect is achieved by means of a lateral force applied to the waist of the walking subject. Results are provided and discussed for both simulated and real side slopes, showing a substantial biomechanical equivalence in the walking patte...

A critical aspect of perception-action coupling is the ability to modify ongoing actions in accordance with variations in the environment. Infants' ability to modify their gait patterns to walk down shallow and steep slopes was examined at three nested time scales. Across sessions, a microgenetic training design showed rapid improvements after the first session in infants receiving concentrated...

In our previous work, we have presented results on Virtual Slope Walking, that is when a robot walks on level ground down a virtual slope by leg length modulation, based on the potential energy restoration in Passive Dynamic Walking. In this paper, we introduce the model of Virtual Slope Walking with Trajectory Leg Extension (TLE) and equivalent Instantaneous Leg Extension (ILE) under the Equiv...

This paper presents the gait generation and mechanical design of a humanoid robot based on a limit cycle walking method-Virtual Slope Control. This method is inspired by Passive Dynamic Walking. By shortening the swing leg, the robot walking on level ground can be considered as on a virtual slope. Parallel double crank mechanisms and elastic feet are introduced to the 5 DoF robot leg, to make t...

Passive walking is an attractive walking style which emerges autonomously on shallow slope without external input. It is known that the walking motion varies to chaotic in the vicinity of the limit of the stable walking. This phenomenon had been analyzed well, but had not been utilized directly for control. Usually only period-1 w alking gait has been dealt with as an active usage of passive wa...

The impact of electronic dipole tags on the walking activity of three insects was determined using video tracking software. Results varied within and between the three species studied. The heaviest tag mounted on the pronotum of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), reduced its mean horizontal speed slightly but significantly. The mean horizontal speed of plum curculio, C...