Simulation of human gait with the aid of a simple mechanical model.

A simple mechanical model was used in this study to simulate the stance phase of human locomotion. The model consists of a concentrated mass supported by two elastic and viscous straight legs. The model is provided with a set of initial conditions at the instant of "heel strike" and then continues to move due to its inertia and the action of gravity. The simulation results were compared with the corresponding experimental data and have shown agreeable similarity. The model was also used to study the effect of some body features on the resulting walking pattern and to explain the generation of the ground reaction force characteristics.