Anticipatory phase of gait initiation on horizontal, upward and downward inclined surfaces

This paper presents a study of the center of pressure (COP) behavior during anticipatory postural adjustments phase (APA) of gait initiation in different conditions which are commonly required in daily activities. Twelve young subjects enrolled in this study and performed gait initiation in horizontal and upward and downward inclined surfaces. Significant differences were found only in the mediallateral (ML) displacement and velocity of COP on both inclined surfaces. These results suggest a smaller transfer of the center of mass to the support foot in this phase on inclined surfaces. This should be taken in account in the design of bipedal robots once the ML COP control is an important aspect of gait initiation.