HUMVIB – HUMan-structure interaction and gait adaptation during locomotion on VIBrating structures

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Clemens Hübler; Professor Dr. André Seyfarth
• Subject Area: Applied Mechanics, Statics and Dynamics
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 446124066

In everyday locomotion, the support of the human body is often less steady as investigated in lab experiments on solid ground. For instance, when walking in a train or on a ship, unexpected ground conditions can lead to threatening gait conditions (e.g., accidents due to collisions or falls). Another common situation is walking on a lightweight bridge which may exhibit oscillations close to the natural frequency of human gait. To manage or avoid such critical gait conditions a better understanding of the underlying human-structure interactions is required. The analysis of human-structure interactions on vibrating surfaces (e.g., bridges) in the former HUMVIB project has led to a number of insights regarding the responses of human gait to the bridge configuration and the response of the bridge to human locomotion. The results show a high inter- and intra-variability in the response to the vibrating ground, resulting in uncertainties. To account for these we will extend the human-structure interaction models to comprise stochastic mechanisms. Additionally, we will consider interactions between individuals when walking over an oscillating bridge. With this we can describe more realistic scenarios for human-structure interactions. For this we will analyze the mechanical interactions between individuals (through the bridge) and other cognitive mechanisms (e.g., through visual perception of other individuals) separately. As an outcome of this project we aim to provide open-access experimental data for human-structure and human-human-structure interactions for walking on oscillating bridges with different mechanical settings (e.g., bridge amplitude, eigenfrequency) and gait characteristics (e.g., walking speed, walking direction, step frequency). By developing stochastic interaction models we aim at providing insights in the observed synchronization behaviors between individuals and groups walking on oscillating grounds.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr.-Ing. Jens Schneider