Two-thirds power law in human locomotion: role of ground contact forces

Abstract

Are there general rules for the generation of curvilinear motion of the end-effector? Form and kinematics of the arm trajectory are typically inter-related. A relationship between velocity and curvature of the endpoint path has been previously described and quantified as the two-thirds power law. Here we show that the two-thirds power law holds also for the foot trajectory (during the swing phase) in human locomotion for a wide range of walking speeds and gravitational loads, but air-stepping. In air-stepping, it was violated systematically. The results suggest that the power law represents a general constrain of biological motion, may be attributed to both mechanical and neural factors and can depend on natural interactions with external environment.