A force platform for large human displacements

This paper provides details of a force platform assembly suitable for measu ring the magnitude, position and direction of ground reaction forces for ma nual handling tasks involving several footsteps in any horizontal direction . An approach to increase the natural frequency with the use of a vibration absorber is used; this frequency was found to be 41 +/-2 Hz. The results s how a maximum error of 22 N (2% of the full scale output) when a person per forms repetitive movements from a squat position to a full extension and ba ck to the squat position. Static tests show the maximal errors to be, verti cally. 1.5% of the full scale output (1818 +/- 33 N), and horizontally, 4.9 % of the full scale output (1177 +/-6 N). (C) 2001 IPEM. Published by Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.