Internal torques of human upper extremity during its optimal motion in vertical plane

In the paper a number of optimal control problems for the motion of the human upper extremity (HUE), for different types of working tasks, are considered. The performance index used in these problems is the integral over the duration of the working task of the sum of the square of the controlling stimuli acting at the joints of the human arm. Under some conditions this performance index can be used for evaluation of the muscles\u27 energy expenditure during human movements. The HUE is simulated by a plane multibody system of rigid masses. The system comprises the three elements with mass and rotatory inertia modelled the upper arm, the forearm and the hand. The controlled motions of the mechanical system are described in terms of joint angles and Cartesian coordinates of the shoulder joint, through the application of Lagrange\u27s equations. The main aim of the study is an investigation of the interaction between the gravity forces and the internal torques acting at the joints during goal-directed extremal motions of the HUE. The analysis of the internal torques, energetic and viscoelastic characteristics of the shoulder, the elbow and the wrist joints for the exstremal controlled motions of the human arm under the external load acting on the hand has been done

Modeling and design of robotic systems having spring-damper actuators

The role of inherent dynamics for the improvement of control strategies of robotic systems is studied. A mathematical formulation of the optimal control problem that is suitable for this investigation is proposed. In solving this problem closed-form expressions have been obtained for the optimal control strategies for n degrees-of-freedom robotic systems with passive (unpowered) drives and no restrictions upon their controlling stimuli, and with non-linear viscoelastic spring-damper actuators. The obtained results can be used in designing optimal spring-damper-like passive drives for robotic systems

Energy-optimal control of bipedal locomtion systems

The mathematical statement of the problem of energy-optimal control for a bipedal locomotion system is given. The proposed statement of the problem is characterized by broad utilization of experimental data of normal human locomotion. It is done mainly by means of the mathematical formulation of the constraints imposed both on the phase coordinates and on the controlling stimuli of a system. A numerical method for the solution of optimal control problems for highly nonlinear and complex bipedal locomotion systems is proposed. The method is based on a special procedure of converting the initial optimal control problem into a standard nonlinear programming problem. This is made by an approximation of the independent variable functions using smoothing cubic splines and by the solution of inverse dynamics problem. The key features of the method are its high numerical effectiveness and the possibility to satisfy a lot of restrictions imposed on the phase coordinates of the system automatically and accurately. The proposed method is illustrated by computer simulation of the energy-optimal anthropomorphic motion of the bipedal walking robot over a horizontal surface

Optimization of control laws of the bipedal locomotion systems

The mathematical statement of the problem of energy-optimal control for a bipedal locomotion system is given. The proposed statement of the problem is characterized by broad utilization of experimental data of normal human locomotion. It is done mainly by means of the mathematical formulation of the constraints imposed both on the phase coordinates and on the controlling stimuli of a system. A numerical method for the solution of the optimal control problems for highly nonlinear and complex bipedal locomotion systems is proposed. The method is based on a special procedure of converting the initial optimal control problem into a standard nonlinear programming problem. This is made by an approximation of the independent variable functions using smoothing cubic splines and by the solution of an inverse dynamics problem. The key features of the method are its high numerical effectiveness and the possibility to satisfy a lot of restrictions imposed on the phase coordinates of the system automatically and accurately. The proposed method is illustrated by computer simulation of the energy-optimal anthropomorphic motion of the bipedal walking robot over a horizontal surface

Optimization of control laws of the bipedal locomotion systems

The mathematical statement of the problem of energy-optimal control for a bipedal locomotion system is given. The proposed statement of the problem is characterized by broad utilization of experimental data of normal human locomotion. It is done mainly by means of the mathematical formulation of the constraints imposed both on the phase coordinates and on the controlling stimuli of a system. A numerical method for the solution of the optimal control problems for highly nonlinear and complex bipedal locomotion systems is proposed. The method is based on a special procedure of converting the initial optimal control problem into a standard nonlinear programming problem. This is made by an approximation of the independent variable functions using smoothing cubic splines and by the solution of an inverse dynamics problem. The key features of the method are its high numerical effectiveness and the possibility to satisfy a lot of restrictions imposed on the phase coordinates of the system automatically and accurately. The proposed method is illustrated by computer simulation of the energy-optimal anthropomorphic motion of the bipedal walking robot over a horizontal surface

Linear viscoelastic actuator-based control system of a bipedal walking robot

The optimisation approach for designing of the rotational spring-damper actuators providing the programmed goal-directed motion of a bipedal walking robot is proposed. The problem is formulated as an approximation procedure for the controlling torques acting at the joints of the robot during its optimal motion. Analysis of the obtained numerical results has shown that the anthropomorphic energy-optimal goal-directed motion of the bipedal walking robot could be generated by the rotational spring-damper actuators with one switching of each of their parameters during the double step of the robot

Linear viscoelastic actuator-based control system of a bipedal walking robot

The optimisation approach for designing of the rotational spring-damper actuators providing the programmed goal-directed motion of a bipedal walking robot is proposed. The problem is formulated as an approximation procedure for the controlling torques acting at the joints of the robot during its optimal motion. Analysis of the obtained numerical results has shown that the anthropomorphic energy-optimal goal-directed motion of the bipedal walking robot could be generated by the rotational spring-damper actuators with one switching of each of their parameters during the double step of the robot

Modeling an design of robotic systems having spring-damper actuators

The role of inherent dynamics for the improvement of control strategies of robotic systems is studied. A mathematical formulation of the optimal control problem that is suitable for this investigation is proposed. In solving this problem closed-form expressions have been obtained for the optimal control strategies for n degrees-of-freedom robotic systems with passive (unpowered) drives and no restrictions upon their controlling stimuli, and with non-linear viscoelastic spring-damper actuators. The obtained results can be used in designing optimal spring-damper-like passive drives for robotic systems