title: The basic mechanics of bipedal walking lead to asymmetric behavior.
abstract: This paper computationally investigates whether gait asymmetries can be attributed in part to basic bipedal mechanics independent of motor control. Using a symmetrical rigid-body model known as the compass-gait biped, we show that changes in environmental or physiological parameters can facilitate asymmetry in gait kinetics at fast walking speeds. In the environmental case, the asymmetric family of high-speed gaits is in fact more stable than the symmetric family of low-speed gaits. These simulations suggest that lower extremity mechanics might play a direct role in functional and pathological asymmetries reported in human walking, where velocity may be a common variable in the emergence and growth of asymmetry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. rgregg@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gregg
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Degani
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dhaher
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*