Research
Through our research, we seek to better understand the mechanics, energetics, and control of bipedal locomotion. In much of our work, we use a modeling and simulation approach in conjunction with optimal control theory. Thus, we have invested considerable time in developing and validating computational models of the musculoskeletal system, and algorithms for evaluating those systems. The scope of our research spans from the restoration of gait in disability to the evolutionary basis for human bipedalism. Here you can read about our current research and the tools we use.
Details about some of our current projects can be found below.
Predictive Musculoskeletal Simulation
Of all the possible ways in which we could walk about, how and why do we walk the way that we do? This question is at the heart of our research on predictive simulation of locomotion.
This research not only addresses fundamental questions about how we select and control our locomotor movements, but it also finds its way into most our other research application.
Comparative & Evolutionary Bipedal Locomotion
Humans are the only mammals to habitually walk upright on two extended limbs.
This research is funded by the NSF and is being conducted in close collaboration with colleagues at the Midwestern University College of Medicine.
Neuromuscular Causes of Gait Changes in Older Adults
Older adults walk slower and have a greater metabolic cost of walking than younger adults.
This research is funded by the NIH and is being conducted in close collaboration with experimental and clinical collaborators at UMass Amherst.