Investigation of human-device interaction via predictive simulation

International audience; The aim of this study is to investigate the interaction characteristics between human upper extremity limb and mobility assistance device, in order to test the effects of different device designs on human arm movement. In this paper, the role of mobility-aid for the human arm was depicted by an ideal generalized spring force appended onto the human elbow joint. The main contribution of this work resides in the use of musculoskeletal modelling and predictive simulation to describe the interaction by exploiting the variables of the equivalent spring force during an elbow flexion movement. Results showed that the different variables of the spring force would result in a variety of levels of human muscle activation, where we can draw a conclusion that interaction characteristics affect the human arm movement. Besides, it is also available for recommending the most suitable force variables in terms of minimization of muscle activation.