Abstract
The dynamic effects on the gait stability of a three-dimensional passive walker with respect to the radius of curvature of the spherical feet are studied by simulation. The radiuses of curvature of the spherical feet in the sagittal and frontal planes are designed to different, and the radius of curvature of the spherical feet in the sagittal plane is changed in simulation to study the relationship between the radius of curvature, the gait of the walker, the propulsive force and ground reaction force in walking. The walking period, stride, forward speed of the walkerand pitch angle of the swing leg at heel-strike decrease when the curvature of the spherical feet in the sagittal plane increases. The results indicate that the walking can be stabilized and the shorter radius of curvature of the spherical feet in the sagittal plane leads to larger propulsive force and faster walking in an appropriate range of the radiuses of curvature.
