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Passive Walkers equipped with Sensors and walking on the ramp and the treadmill

In order to better understand the dynamics of passive walking, more accurate measurement of the the gait of the passive walker is essential. Our current walker is equipped with a 3-D linear accelerometers, an encoder, a quanser Q8 data acquization board and a computer.

Qualysis Motion Measurement Systems & Kistler Slimline Force Plates

The force plate provides dynamic and quasi-static measurement of the 3 orthogonal components of a force (Fx,Fy,Fz ) acting from any direction on the top plate. With the aid of the software system (Bioware), the following quantities can also be measured: 3 moments (Mx,My,Mz), location of the center of pressure, the torque about an axis normal to the force plate surface. The figure below also shows QUALISYS 3-D 120Hz System with 4 MacReflex Cameras Model NP2.

Vista Force Sensing Arrays

A Force Sensing Array (FSA) system, consisting of two seating mats and computer workstation, shown below, is available in the lab. The FSA provides static measurement of the pressure acting on its surface. With the aid of software, the pressure distribution, location of the pressure center, locations of maximum pressure etc., can be measured.

PhotoStress Plus System

Optical measurement and analysis of stresses/strains in test parts and structures.