Parametric Study of Human Balancing on Rolling Balance Board

Abstract

For this study 10 university students were measured, having a variety of age from 18 years old to 25. Every subject was ask to carry on 6 different balancing acts, without any previous training on the board. One main concept for modelling, is describing the motion with the minimum number of coordinates, but different concepts are considered too. In the simplest one, the human body is described with a rigid homogeneous bar and the ankle’s stiffness is modelled with a torsional spring. The main focus in this thesis, is on the computation of the acting torques of the ankle. For this calculation, the Newtonian equations of the simple mechanical model will be derived, then the generalized coordinate values will be obtained from motion captured measurements, and its derivatives from numerical derivations.