Simulating control of the ankle joint

Abstract

Computing environments such as Matlab that are conventionally used to simulate dynamics of rigid body systems can be used to model interactions between the system and its environment. However, creating these simulations using Matlab or an equivalent is difficult and there is a need for a more convenient simulation environment for such problems. Two alternative programs, PyODE and OpenSim, were explored to evaluate their ability to fill this need. Models and simulations of the human ankle were created in PyODE. This program is useful for creating simple models where the programmer desires a high level of control over model parameters. Simulations of the ankle kicking a ball and taking a step were created to examine the effect of joint stiffness on these motions and help determine the usefulness of ODE as a simulation tool. Pre-existing models were analyzed in OpenSim. OpenSim is specifically designed for analyzing biomechanical systems. It allows for more complex models to be created but the user has more limited control over the model parameters.