• DocumentCode
    1011373
  • Title

    What are the advantages of variable stiffness control?

  • Author

    Bennett, D.J.

  • Author_Institution
    Dept. of Brain & Cognitive Sci., MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
  • Volume
    11
  • Issue
    4
  • fYear
    1992
  • Firstpage
    86
  • Lastpage
    87
  • Abstract
    Summary form only given. The role of stiffness modulation in limb movement control is discussed in light of recent measurements of the stiffness of the human elbow joint during free movement. The stiffness is found to be low during movement, in comparison to the stiffness measured under isometric conditions. Since reflexes and muscle co-activation determine the total stiffness, utilizing a low stiffness minimizes the danger of instability arising from feedback delays and the energy required for co-activation.<>
  • Keywords
    biocontrol; biomechanics; elasticity; feedback delays; free movement; human elbow joint; human elbow joint stiffness; instability danger minimization; isometric conditions; muscle coactivation; reflexes; stiffness modulation; Centralized control; Control systems; Muscles; Optimal control; Weight control;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Journal_Title
    Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, IEEE
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • ISSN
    0739-5175
  • Type

    jour

  • DOI
    10.1109/51.257014
  • Filename
    257014