THEORETICAL APPROACH FOR OPTIMAL MOTION GENERATION OF A BIPEDAL LOCOMOTION MODEL.

This research develops a methodology for simulation of optimal motions of a planar mechanical walking model. The approach involves minimization of a performance index subject to system constraints and is formulated as a problem in calculus of variations using the Releigh-Ritz technique. The result is a set of nonlinear algebraic equations which is solved using the simplex search direct optimization algorithm for optimal histories of joint angles, rates, and torques. The method is designed to help uncover strategies that play a role in the coordinated management of limb motions during human locomotion.