Various models have been used to describe distance running technique. Among these, the mass-spring model is fairly simple to use and apply, but when employed as a model, does not predict vertical force accurately especially when a heel strike is exhibited. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the mass-spring model can be modified to provide a simple, yet accurate prediction of grou...

Besides finite element method, mass-spring systems are widely used in Computer Graphics. It is indubitably the simplest and most intuitive deformable model. This discrete model allows to perform interactive deformations with ease and to handle complex interactions. Thus, it is perfectly adapted to generate visually plausible animations. However, a drawback of this simple formulation is the rela...

In the trot, the body’s center of mass behaves differently. Rather than being raised in the first half of the stance phase, it is lowered and the body moves as a wave, often with minimal oscillation in those breeds of dogs that are used to trotting for long periods of time [6]. Here potential energy is converted into elastic energy and stored upon impact with the ground by passive stretching of...

In this paper, we propose a region-based blend shape approach to facial expression cloning that automatically extracts a set of coherently-moving regions of the source face model and their counterparts in the target face model without any extra input data except the source and target key face models and their correspondence. We represent a face mesh as a mass-spring network to define two measur...

In this article a practical mass-spring system was developed to simulate the draping of woven and knitted fabrics. The material properties important to fabric drape, including aerial density, tensile, shear, and bending properties were measured using the Kawabata Evaluation System and the experimental data were incorporated into the mass-spring model to simulate the dynamic draping behavior of ...

In this paper, we propose a stable and efficient algorithm for animating mass-spring systems. An integration scheme derived from implicit integration allows us to obtain interactive realistic animation of any mass-spring network. We alleviate the need to solve a linear system through the use of a predictor-corrector approach: We first compute a rapid approximation of the implicit integration, t...

We present a one-dimensional, multiscale mass-spring model to describe the response of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) foams subjected to uniaxial, high-rate compressive deformations. The model uses mesoscopic dissipative spring elements composed of a lower level chain of asymmetric, bilateral, bistable elastic springs to describe the experimentally observed deformation-dependent str...

This paper documents the mechanical system of the Electric Cable Differential leg, and its incorporation into a monopod hopping robot named Thumper and a bipedal robot named MABEL. The ECD Leg is designed with physical springs and other passive dynamics to match a mathematically simple, bio-inspired mass-spring model, which can exhibit robust and economic walking and running gaits. With this de...

Are the fastest running speeds achieved using the simple-spring stance mechanics predicted by the classic spring-mass model? We hypothesized that a passive, linear-spring model would not account for the running mechanics that maximize ground force application and speed. We tested this hypothesis by comparing patterns of ground force application across athletic specialization (competitive sprint...

While the dynamics of running arthropods have been modeled as a spring-mass system, no such structures have been discovered that store and return energy during bouncing. The hindleg of the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis is a good candidate for a passive, vertical leg spring because its vertically oriented joint axes of rotation limit the possibility of active movements and contributions of musc...