A Model of Muscle-tendon Function in Human Walking
Massachusetts institute of technology, MIT, MIT Media Lab, robotics, prosthetics, prostheses, exoskeletons, orthoses, orthosis, science, engineering, biomechanics, mechatronics,
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A Model of Muscle-tendon Function in Human Walking

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We are studying the mechanical behavior of leg muscles and tendons during human walking in order to motivate the design of economical robotic legs. We hypothesize that quasi-passive, series-elastic clutch units spanning the knee joint in a musculoskeletal arrangement can capture the dominant mechanical behaviors of the human knee in level-ground walking. Biarticular elements necessarily need to transfer energy from the knee joint to hip and/or ankle joints, and this mechanism would reduce the necessary muscle work and improve the mechanical economy of a human-like walking robot.

Ken Endo and Hugh Herr