Stable Running with Asymmetric Legs: A Bifurcation Approach

The spring-mass model is a frequently used gait template to describe human and animal locomotion. In this study, we transform the spring-mass model for running into a boundary value problem and use it for the computation of bifurcation points. We show that the analysis of the region of stable solutions can be reduced to the calculation of its boundaries. Using the new bifurcation approach, we investigate the influence of asymmetric leg parameters on the stability of running. Like previously found in walking, leg asymmetry does not necessarily restrict the range of stable running and may even provide benefits for system dynamics.