...
First, kinematic data of the ankle, hip, and knee moving parallel to the sagittal plane was extracted from a video of sprinters competing in a relay race. Next, the output of a mechanism known as a Jansen's linkage was adapted to fit the kinematic data using an algorithm that altered the lengths of each link to minimize the error between the simulated output path and the kinematic data. Once optimized link lengths were known, the device was constructed using laser-cut acrylic links and driven using a motor controlled via Arduino. The robotic linkage, power supply, motor, and controller were combined into a final aesthetically-pleasing yet functional display case.
This project is similar to and inspired by a similar gait trainer developed by Sung Yul Shin in the Rewire Lab[3]. However, where that gait trainer was designed for a walking gait, this project simulates sprinting gait cycles, investigating the limits of the Jansen's linkage adaptability and exploring how mechanisms can be optimized for significantly different outputs.
...