Foot impact in different modes of running: mechanisms and energy transfer

Experience shows that human running gaits have several possible foot collision patterns, depending on which part of the foot touches the ground first, e.g., fore-foot, mid-foot, or heel. In this work, we propose a method to analyze and understand the dynamics and energy transfer which takes place during topology transition for the different possible touchdown patterns. The method proposed is based on concepts from analytical multibody dynamics, which stem from the relaxation of constraints. We also pay attention to the effects of ankle compliance in the system and its influence on the different collision scenarios.