Nonlinear robust compensator design for postural control of a biomechanical model with delayed feedback

Abstract

Postural stability and balance regulation is an intricate neurophysiological task which entails coordination of movements for successful execution. This task is proficiently regulated by central nervous system. The sensory feedback through muscles via proprioceptors has neural transmission delays which make the movement coordination and computations by central nervous system a complex problem to deal with. This paper addresses a nonlinear robust technique based on feedback linearization for postural stabilization of a single-link biomechanical model in the presence of physiological latencies. We included neural transmission delays in sensory feedback from proprioceptors. We developed H 2 optimal controller and integrated it with feedback linearization to calculate the joint torque for the biomechanical task. This modeling scheme is simulated in MATLAB/SimMechanics, and the simulation results for the nonlinear biomechanical model are developed. The joint torque compensates for the delays and settles the motion profiles within anatomical constraints. The position profile shows a bit higher overshoot (0.02, 0.03 rad) in case of delays; however, the settling time is same for the profiles with and without delay. The extensor torque is same for all profiles; however, the flexion torque increases for the delayed case. The simulation results show the applicability of this scheme for further analysis of the biomechanical task.