Title: An approach for goal-oriented neuromuscular control of digital humans in physics-based simulations

Authors: Vincent De Sapio

Addresses: Information and Systems Sciences Laboratory, HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, California 90265-4797, USA

Abstract: We present a novel approach for the control of digital humans modelled as musculoskeletal systems in physics-based environments. This approach uses high-level goal-oriented commands as input, from which low-level neuromuscular excitations are produced that generate motion consistent with the high-level command input. Central to our approach is the reformulation of a neuromuscular control algorithm in task space, a space defined by coordinates relevant to the specific task being performed, rather than the full configuration space of the digital human. A control methodology is also detailed for addressing holonomic constraints in the skeletal kinematics. Examples are presented that demonstrate the motion control architecture for an arm-reaching simulation.

Keywords: neuromuscular control; computed muscle control; CMC; task-level motion synthesis; constrained motion control; digital humans; modelling; holonomic constraints; skeletal kinematics; arm reaching; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHFMS.2014.062387

International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation, 2014 Vol.4 No.2, pp.121 - 144

Received: 02 Aug 2013
Accepted: 24 Feb 2014
Published online: 05 Jul 2014 *

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