Experimental Study of Human Walking to Running Dynamics With Applications to Energy Harvesting

The nonlinear dynamics of a runner are reported here. Image processing software is used obtain experimental data of the 2-D leg motion of the athlete. The available power that the athlete creates from this motion is calculated for multiple speeds. The multi-frequency motion is then filtered, recreated numerically, and compared to the experimental data. This entire process is repeated for multiple athletes of different backgrounds and skill levels. The frequencies at which large amounts of power are available are compared for each athlete in order to find any possible commonality.