KINEMATIC TRAJECTORY GENERATION IN A NEUROMUSCULOSKELETAL MODEL WITH SOMATOSENSORY AND VESTIBULAR FEEDBACK

Mechanisms of posture and movement control in the human body are investigated via a four-segment neuro-musculoskeletal model characterizing the action of the central nervous system (CNS). The model includes position, velocity, force, and vestibular feedback, the intrinsic stiffness properties of the muscle, and the physiological latencies of the motor servo-system. Prediction of limb kinematics is achieved through a combination of analytical methods and computer simulations. Our simulation results confirm that the anatomical arrangement, active muscle stiffness, force and vestibular feedback, and physiological latencies of the body segments play a major role in shaping motor control processes in the human body.