Experimental Gait Analysis of Waveboard Locomotion

Abstract

Through modeling and experimentation, we analyze common gaits on a waveboard, an underactuated mechanical system whose motion is governed by both nonholonomic constraints and momentum conservation. We take advantage of the system’s symmetries to derive a reduced system model that differentiates between kinematic and dynamic components of motion. We evaluate this model using marker trajectory data gathered through an optical tracking system for various types of gaits. By extracting relevant trajectory parameters via state reconstruction and fitting our joint variables to an ellipse, we determine the kinematic components of gaits commonly used by human riders. In particular, we demonstrate that traditional forward motion is purely dynamic, while sustained turning motion contains kinematic components. In order to validate our model, we compare experimentally obtained trajectories with reconstructed displacements based on the model. Finally, we suggest an approach for further analysis of the dynamic components of these gaits.