A Software Tool for Faster Development of Complex Models of Musculoskeletal Systems and Sensorimotor Controllers in SimulinkTM

Abstract

Computer models of the neuromusculoskeletal systems can be used to study different aspects of movement and its control in humans and animals. SIMM with Dynamics Pipeline (Musculographics Inc., Chicago) and SD-Fast (Symbolic Dynamics Inc., Mountain View, CA) are software packages commonly used for graphic and dynamic simulation of movement in musculoskeletal systems. Building dynamic models with SIMM requires substantial C programming, however, which limits its use. We have developed Musculoskeletal Modeling in Simulink (MMS) software to convert the SIMM musculoskeletal and kinetics models to Simulink (Mathworks Inc., Natick, MA) blocks. In addition, MMS removes SIMM’s run-time constraints so that the resulting blocks can be used in simulations of closed-loop sensorimotor control systems.