Dynamic motion planning of overarm throw for a biped human multibody system

Abstract

We propose a motion planning formulation of overarm throw for a 55-degree-of-freedom biped human multibody system. The unique characteristics of the throwing task—highly redundant, highly nonlinear, and highly dynamic—make the throwing motion simulation challenging in the literature and are addressed within the framework of multibody dynamics and optimization. To generate physically feasible throwing motions in a fully predictive method without input reference from motion capture or animation, rigorous dynamics modeling, such as dynamic balance based on Zero-Moment Point (ZMP) and ground reaction loads, is associated with the constraints. Given the target location and the object mass, the algorithm outputs the motion, required actuator torques, release conditions, and projectile and flight time of the object. Realistic human-like motions of throwing are generated for different input parameters, which demonstrate valid cause–effect relations in terms of both kinematic and kinetic outputs.