Title: Estimation of effects of walking speed to vertical ground reaction force

Authors: Neelesh Kumar; Gautam Sharma; Sahiba Sahi; Amod Kumar; B.S. Sohi

Addresses: Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), Sector 30-C, Chandigarh 160030, India. ' Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), Sector 30-C, Chandigarh 160030, India. ' Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), Sector 30-C, Chandigarh 160030, India. ' Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), Sector 30-C, Chandigarh 160030, India. ' University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), Sector 14, Chandigarh 160014, India

Abstract: The measurement of ground reaction force (GRF) is important in biomechanical analysis for clinical gait assessment and gait research. The GRF measured by the force plate, along with the gravity, are the only significant external forces acting on the body during gait. The purpose of this study is to show the effects of walking speed on vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) Fz using Kistler quartz force platform embedded on the floor. Since considerable differences in the gait of normal subjects arises due to |constrained| walking, so subject are made to walk with their self-selected walking speed in the walkway. Vertical component of the GRF was analysed from the recorded data using Bioware software. It was clearly observed that with increasing walking speed VGRF increased at Fz1 and F z3 whereas decreased at F z2.

Keywords: vertical ground reaction force; VGRF; walking speed; clinical gait analysis; biomechanics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBBR.2011.043752

International Journal of Biomechatronics and Biomedical Robotics, 2011 Vol.1 No.4, pp.252 - 257

Published online: 21 Mar 2015 *

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