Biomechanics of human walking and stability descriptive parameters

Abstract

From the time of Aristotle onward, there have been countless books written on the topic of movement in animals and humans. However, research of human motion, especially walking mechanisms, has increased over the last fifty years. The study of human body movement and its stability during locomotion involves both neuronal and mechanical aspect. The mechanical aspect, which is in the scope of this thesis, requires knowledge in the field of biomechanics. Walking is the most common maneuver of displacement for humans and it is performed by a stable dynamic motion. In this article it is introduced the bases of the human walking in biomechanical terms. Furthermore, two stability descriptive parameters during walking are also explained - Center of Pressure (CoP) and Zero-Moment Pint (ZMP).