Journal Article
Posture Prediction with External Loads – A Pilot Study
2009-04-20
2009-01-0921
As the need for more advanced human modeling tools has grown, so has the focus on research and development with posture-prediction capabilities for the design and analysis of products, and for the study of human behavior. Virtual humans have grown from digital mannequins with limited fidelity, to realistic avatars with predictive capabilities. Now, one of the frontiers with posture prediction is the incorporation of external loads and joint torques. Although advancements have been made with dynamic motion prediction, relatively little work has been conducted with external load-based posture prediction. Drawing on past success with optimization-based kinematic posture prediction implemented with the virtual human Santos™, we present a new method for considering external loads. A pilot study is conducted whereby equations for static equilibrium are incorporated in the optimization formulation.