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Effects of varying the magnitude of the torque pulse on frequency locking and on entrainment
Malaxa, Vlad-Carlos (2025) Effects of varying the magnitude of the torque pulse on frequency locking and on entrainment.
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| Abstract: | Human gait is a rhythmic process, whose frequency and phase can change as it interacts with another oscillatory process. This phenomenon is known as entrainment. This thesis introduces a new method to influence human gait, by incorporating oscillatory behaviour into the magnitude of torque pulses applied at the ankle. The central objective is to explore how dynamic pulse amplitude can affect gait entrainment and frequency locking, by using a magnitude-modulating high-level controller. The work is divided into two sections. The first section uses a sinusoidal function to vary pulse amplitude. Although frequency entrainment was not observed, insight was provided into how modulation of pulse strength could affect gait dynamics. The second section introduces an alternative design: replacing the sinusoid with a nonlinear hybrid oscillator. This results in a more adaptable system to the gait signal via a coupling term. Multiple coupling strategies were explored, including diffusive and phase difference. Simulations showed that entrainment can be achieved using diffusive coupling. These results suggest that such hybrid oscillator-based controllers are feasible for a gait entrainment device. While experiments showed no entrainment, a more robust system, as well as more participants involved in the tests, could potentially demonstrate successful frequency locking and entrainment. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Subject: | 42 biology, 52 mechanical engineering, 53 electrotechnology |
| Programme: | Electrical Engineering BSc (56953) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107110 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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