📝 SummarXiv

Abstract

Obstacle crossing is an essential component of human locomotion, particularly for individuals with lower limb amputations who face elevated risks of imbalance and falls. While prior studies have explored this task, they often lack a comprehensive examination of kinematic and kinetic changes throughout the entire gait cycle across varying obstacle heights. This study creates a novel dataset collected from ten healthy adults performing obstacle crossing at four different heights (7.5 cm, 15 cm, 22.5 cm, and 30 cm). Kinematic and kinetic data (angles and torques of hip, knee, and ankle) were recorded and analyzed. Results indicate that increased obstacle height leads to a longer swing phase and significant increases in both hip and knee joint angles (1.5* and 1.0*, respectively) and torques. In contrast, ankle joint angles and moments exhibited minimal variation across obstacle heights, indicating a relatively consistent movement strategy at the ankle. Furthermore, significant asymmetries were observed between the dominant and non-dominant foot: the dominant foot demonstrated larger hip and knee joint angles and more consistent ankle behavior, reflecting greater coordination. These findings offer valuable biomechanical insights for improving fall prevention strategies and informing the design of assistive devices such as prostheses and exoskeletons.