HUMAN VERSUS HUMANOID ROBOT BIODYNAMICS

Abstract

In this paper we compare and contrast modern dynamical methodologies common to both humanoid robotics and human biomechanics. While the humanoid robot's motion is defined on the system of constrained rotational Lie groups SO(3) acting in all major robot joints, human motion is defined on the corresponding system of constrained Euclidean groups SE(3) of the full (rotational + translational) rigid motions acting in all synovial human joints. In both cases the smooth configuration manifolds, Q rob and Q hum , respectively, can be constructed. The autonomous Lagrangian dynamics are developed on the corresponding tangent bundles, TQ rob and TQ hum , respectively, which are themselves smooth Riemannian manifolds. Similarly, the autonomous Hamiltonian dynamics are developed on the corresponding cotangent bundles, T*Q rob and T*Q hum , respectively, which are themselves smooth symplectic manifolds. In this way a full rotational + translational biodynamics simulator has been created with 270 DOFs in total, called the Human Biodynamics Engine, which is currently in its validation stage. Finally, in both the human and the humanoid case, the time-dependent biodynamics generalizing the autonomous Lagrangian (of Hamiltonian) dynamics is naturally formulated in terms of jet manifolds.