Relation between Peak Values of Floor Reaction Forces and Cadence in Human Transient Walking: Starting, Stopping, and Turning.

Abstract

Human walking has been actively studied in such fields as biomechanics and rehabilitation engineering. Steady characteristics for a normal person walking at a constant speed are predictable based on these research results. Transient characteristics, for example, speed change in starting or stopping phase, however, have not been studied in detail due to difficulties in experimental data acquisition and processing. In this research, two large force plates are used to measure both the reaction force applied to each foot separately and their point of application in three modes of transient walking, that is, starting, stopping, and turning. The relations between the cadence and each wave peak value, which characterizes the walking motion, are shown. Experimental procedures and results will be presented. Transient characteristics to or from the steady walking state will be discussed.