2 00 4 Dynamics of Human Walking

The problem of biped locomotion at steady speeds is discussed through the Lagrangian formulation developed for velocity-dependent, body driving forces. Human walking on a level surface is analyzed in terms of the data on the resultant ground-reaction force and the external work. It is shown that the trajectory of the human center of mass is due to a superposition of its rectilinear motion with a given speed V and a backward rotation along a shortened hypocycloid. A stiff-to-compliant crossover between walking gaits is established at mid speeds, which separate slow walking from fast walking, limited by V max = 3.4 m/s.