Rotorcraft Pilot Impedance From Inverse Dynamics-Based Biomechanical Model

Author(s):  
Andrea Zanoni ◽  
Giuseppe Quaranta ◽  
Pierangelo Masarati

The involuntary interaction of the pilot with a vehicle is often an undesired consequence of the biomechanical properties of the human body and its relation with the layout of the man-machine interface. This work discusses how muscular activation patterns affect the variability of the equivalent impedance of helicopter pilots. A multibody model is used to compute the joint torques associated to a prescribed pilot task, which are then transformed into corresponding ‘optimal’ muscular activation patterns. Equivalent pilot impedance is obtained by consistently linearizing the constitutive model of the muscles about the reference activation. The effect on equivalent impedance of non-optimal activation, resulting from the addition of Torque-Less Activation Modes to the optimal activation, is evaluated and discussed.

Author(s):  
Pierangelo Masarati ◽  
Giuseppe Quaranta

This work presents the integration of a detailed biomechanical model of the arm of a helicopter pilot and an equivalently detailed aeroservoelastic model of a helicopter, resulting in what has been called a ‘bioaeroservoelastic’ analysis. The purpose of this analysis is to investigate potential adverse interactions, called rotorcraft-pilot couplings, between the aeroservoelastic system and the controls involuntarily introduced by the pilot into the control system in response to rotorcraft vibrations transmitted to the pilot through the cockpit: the so-called biodynamic feedthrough. The force exerted by the pilot on the controls results from the activation of the muscles of the arms according to specific patterns. The reference muscular activation value as a function of the prescribed action on the controls is computed using an inverse kinetostatics/inverse dynamics approach. A first-order quasi-steady correction is adopted to mimic the reflexive contribution to muscle activation. Muscular activation is further augmented by activation patterns that produce elementary actions on the control inceptors. These muscular activation patterns, inferred using perturbation analysis, are applied to control the aircraft through the pilot's limbs. The resulting biomechanical pilot model is applied to the aeroservoelastic analysis of a helicopter model expressly developed within the same multibody modeling environment to investigate adverse rotorcraft pilot couplings. The model consists of the detailed aeroelastic model of the main rotor, using nonlinear beams and blade element/momentum theory aerodynamics, a component mode synthesis model of the airframe structural dynamics, and servoactuator dynamics. Results in terms of the stability analysis of the coupled system are presented in comparison with analogous results obtained using biodynamic feedthrough transfer functions identified from experimental data.


Author(s):  
Pierangelo Masarati ◽  
Giuseppe Quaranta

This work presents the integration of a detailed biomechanical model of the arms of a helicopter pilot and an equivalently detailed aeroservoelastic model of a helicopter, resulting in what has been called a ‘bioaeroservoelastic’ analysis. The purpose is to investigate potential adverse interactions, called rotorcraft-pilot couplings, between the aeroservoelastic system and the controls involuntarily introduced by the pilot into the control system in response to rotorcraft vibrations transmitted to the pilot through the cockpit, the so-called biodynamic feedthrough. The force exerted by the pilot on the controls results from the activation of the muscles of the arms according to specific patterns. The reference muscular activation value as a function of the prescribed action on the controls is computed using an inverse kinetostatics/inverse dynamics approach. A first-order quasi-steady correction is adopted to mimic the reflexive contribution to muscle activation. Muscular activation is further augmented by activation patterns that produce elementary actions on the control inceptors. These muscular activation patterns, inferred using perturbation analysis, are applied to control the aircraft through the pilot’s limbs. The resulting biomechanical pilot model is applied to the aeroservoelastic analysis of a helicopter model expressly developed within the same multibody modeling environment to investigate adverse rotorcraft pilot couplings. The model consists of the detailed aeroelastic model of the main rotor, using nonlinear beams and blade element/momentum theory aerodynamics, a component mode synthesis model of the airframe structural dynamics, and servoactuator dynamics. Results in terms of stability analysis of the coupled system are presented in comparison with analogous results obtained using biodynamic feedthrough transfer functions identified from experimental data.


2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 2284-2294 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. V. Grinyagin ◽  
E. V. Biryukova ◽  
M. A. Maier

We analyzed the adaptability of human thumb and index finger movement kinematics and dynamics to variations of precision grip aperture and movement velocity. Six subjects performed precision grip opening and closing movements under different conditions of movement velocity and movement aperture (thumb and index finger tip-to-tip distance). Angular motion of the thumb and index finger joints was recorded with a CyberGlove and a three-dimensional biomechanical model was used for solving the inverse dynamics problem during precision grip movements, i.e., for calculating joint torques from experimentally obtained angular variations. The time-varying joint angles and joint torques were analyzed by principal-component analysis to quantify the contributions of individual joints in kinematic and dynamic synergies. At the level of movement kinematics, we found subject-specific angular contributions. However, the adaptation to large aperture, achieved by an increase of the relative contribution of the proximal joints, was subject-invariant. At the level of movement dynamics, the adaptation of thumb-index finger movements to task constraints was similar among all subjects and required the linear scaling of joint torques, the synchronization of joint torques under high velocity conditions, and a flexible redistribution of joint torques between the proximal joint of the thumb and that of the index finger. This work represents one of the first attempts at calculating the joint torques during human precision-grip movements and indicates that the dynamic synergies seem to be remarkably simple compared with the synergies found for movement kinematics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (15) ◽  
pp. eabf7800
Author(s):  
Jeremie Gaveau ◽  
Sidney Grospretre ◽  
Bastien Berret ◽  
Dora E. Angelaki ◽  
Charalambos Papaxanthis

Recent kinematic results, combined with model simulations, have provided support for the hypothesis that the human brain shapes motor patterns that use gravity effects to minimize muscle effort. Because many different muscular activation patterns can give rise to the same trajectory, here, we specifically investigate gravity-related movement properties by analyzing muscular activation patterns during single-degree-of-freedom arm movements in various directions. Using a well-known decomposition method of tonic and phasic electromyographic activities, we demonstrate that phasic electromyograms (EMGs) present systematic negative phases. This negativity reveals the optimal motor plan’s neural signature, where the motor system harvests the mechanical effects of gravity to accelerate downward and decelerate upward movements, thereby saving muscle effort. We compare experimental findings in humans to monkeys, generalizing the Effort-optimization strategy across species.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (06) ◽  
pp. 1440003
Author(s):  
KAP-SOO HAN ◽  
CHANG HO YU ◽  
MYOUNG-HWAN KO ◽  
TAE KYU KWON

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of 3D stabilization exercises using a whole body tilt device on forces in the trunk, such as individual muscle forces and activation patterns, maximum muscle activities and spine loads. For this sake, a musculoskeletal (MS) model of the whole body was developed, and an inverse dynamics analysis was performed to predict the forces on the spine. An EMG measurement experiment was conducted to validate the muscle forces and activation patterns. The MS model was rotated and tilted in eight different directions: anterior (A), posterior (P), anterior right (AR), posterior right (PR), anterior left (AL), posterior left (PL), right (R) and left (L), replicating the directions of the 3D spine balance exercise device, as performed in the experiment. The anterior directions of the tilt primarily induced the activation of long and superficial back muscles and the posterior directions activated the front muscles. However, deep muscles, such as short muscles and multifidi, were activated in all directions of the tilt. The resultant joint forces in the right and left directions of the tilt were the least among the directions, but higher muscle activations and more diverse muscle recruitments than other positions were observed. Therefore, these directions of tilt may be suitable for the elderly and rehabilitation patients who require muscle strengthening with less spinal loads. In the present investigation, it was shown that 3D stabilization exercises could provide considerable muscle exercise effects with a minimum perturbation of structure. The results of this study can be used to provide safety guidelines for muscle exercises using this type of tilting device. Therefore, the proposed direction of tilt can be used to strengthen targeted muscles, depending on the patients' muscular condition.


Author(s):  
Mohammed N Ashtiani ◽  
Mahmood-Reza Azghani ◽  
Mohamad Parnianpour ◽  
Kinda Khalaf

It has been hypothesized that the muscular efforts exerted during standing may be altered by changes in personal factors, such as the body stature and muscular strength. The goal of this work was to assess the contribution of leg muscles using a biomechanical model in different physical conditions and various initial postures. An optimized inverse dynamics model was employed to find the maximum muscular effort in 23,040 postures. The simulation results showed that mid-range knee flexion could help the healthy and strong individuals maintain balance, but those with weaker muscle strength required more knee flexion. Individuals of weak muscular constitution as well as those with tall stature are at the highest risk of imbalance/falling. The number of imbalanced postures due to deficits in the calf and hamstring muscles was reduced by 7.5 times by strengthening the whole body musculature. The calf and the hamstring muscles play a key role in balance regardless of stature.


Author(s):  
Daniel N. Bassett ◽  
Joseph D. Gardinier ◽  
Kurt T. Manal ◽  
Thomas S. Buchanan

This chapter describes a biomechanical model of the forces about the ankle joint applicable to both unimpaired and neurologically impaired subjects. EMGs and joint kinematics are used as inputs and muscle forces are the outputs. A hybrid modeling approach that uses both forward and inverse dynamics is employed and physiological parameters for the model are tuned for each subject using optimization procedures. The forward dynamics part of the model takes muscle activation and uses Hill-type models of muscle contraction dynamics to estimate muscle forces and the corresponding joint moments. Inverse dynamics is used to calibrate the forward dynamics model predictions of joint moments. In this chapter we will describe how to implement an EMG-driven hybrid forward and inverse dynamics model of the ankle that can be used in healthy and neurologically impaired people.


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