A Statistical Approach for Modeling Individual Vertical Walking Forces

Abstract

This paper proposes a statistical approach for modeling vertical walking forces induced by single pedestrians. To account for the random nature of human walking, the individual vertical walking force is modeled as a series of steps and the gait parameters are assumed to vary at each step. Walking parameters are statistically calibrated with respect to the results of experimental tests performed with a force plate system. Results showed that the walking parameters change during walking and are correlated with each other. The force model proposed in this paper is a step-by-step model based on the description of the multivariate distribution of the walking features through a Gaussian Mixture model. The performance of the proposed model is compared to that of a simplified load model and of two force models proposed in the literature in a numerical case study. Results demonstrate the importance of an accurate modeling of both the single step force and the variability of the individual walking force.