Most current bipedal robots were modeled with an assumption that there is no slip between the stance foot and ground. This paper relaxes undertakes a comprehensive study of compass gait biped on slippery It presents in detail control allows for slipping, shows feasible gaits fail ground two causes: falling backward or requiring negative contact force which cannot be provided by To characterize ...

Contact state information is indispensable for performing skillful tasks in which an end-effector should be in contact with the environment. In previous work, the authors introduced the concept of a pseudo contact point that is useful for tasks involving contact as one expression of the contact state. In this paper, an extended definition of the pseudo contact point is proposed. The pseudo cont...

We collected high-resolution plantar pressure distributions of seven bonobos during terrestrial bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion (N = 146). Functional foot length, degree of hallux abduction, and total contact time were determined, and plots, showing pressure as a function of time for six different foot regions, were generated. We also studied five adult humans for comparison (N = 13). Both l...

Attaining animal-like legged locomotion on rough outdoor terrain with sparse foothold affordances — a primary use-case for legs vs other forms of locomotion — is a largely open problem. New advancements in control and perception have enabled bipeds to walk on flat and uneven indoor environments. But tasks that require reliable contact with unstructured world surfaces, for example walking on nat...

Research into legged robotics is primarily motivated by the prospects of building machines that are able to navigate in challenging and complex environments that are predominantly non-flat. In this context, control of contact forces is fundamental to ensure stable contacts and stability of the robot. In this extended abstract we propose a planning/control framework for quasi-static walking for ...

An important phase in the step cycle is foot contact. When the moment of foot contact differs from the one expected, a fast response is needed. Such a mismatch can be caused by hitting a support surface earlier or later than expected. To study this, experiments were performed with healthy young adults who walked on a platform that was unexpectedly at a lowered (5 cm) or at a level height. Glass...

BACKGROUND The use of foot orthoses and in-shoe wedges in cycling are largely based on theoretical benefits and anecdotal evidence. This review aimed to systematically collect all published research on this topic, critically evaluate the methods and summarise the findings. METHODS STUDY INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE: all empirical studies that evaluated the effects of foot orthoses or in-shoe wedge...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in muscle activation of the trunk and lower extremities and plantar foot pressure due to backpack loads of 0, 10, 15, and 20% of body weight during level walking in individuals with flatfoot. [Methods] Fourteen young flatfoot subjects and 12 normal foot subjects participated in this study. In each session, the subjects were assi...

The determination of contact forces between a grasped object andfingers of a robot hand is treated in this research. In the previous research on fingertip grasps, the underlying assumption is generally that the fingers can apply any required force. In cases of enveloping orpower grasps, the latter assumption does not always hold because some components of the contact forces may not be controlla...

Diabetes mellitus is becoming pandemic, particularly affecting Sub-Saharan Africa, and the prevalence of complications is increasing. Diabetic foot disorders are a major source of morbidity and disability. Delay in the health care process due to patients' beliefs may have deleterious consequences for limb and life in persons with diabetic foot ulcers. No previous studies of beliefs about health...