Human balance recovery strategies | Research directions | Department of Biomechanical Engineering

We integrate computational modeling with innovative experimental paradigms to advance our understanding of how humans maintain balance during walking and standing, and how these stabilizing mechanisms are disrupted by neuromuscular disorders. Our research focuses on recovery strategies, using biomechanical metrics such as angular momentum and center-of-mass dynamics to quantify balance control. These insights inform the development of balance-assisting exoskeletons and prosthetics that emulate natural human responses. This work bridges fundamental neuroscience with rehabilitation engineering, and we aim to translate scientific knowledge about balance control into impactful clinical and technological solutions.

Key publications

Eveld, M., van Asseldonk, E., & van der Kooij, H. (2024). A Disturbance-Cancelling Approach for Ankle Exoskeleton Assistance Improves Standing Balance Performance and Reduces Human Effort. Proceedings of the IEEE RAS and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, 1549–1554. https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB60516.2024.10719782

Afschrift, M., van Asseldonk, E., van Mierlo, M., Bayon, C., Keemink, A., D’Hondt, L., van der Kooij, H., & de Groote, F. (2023). Assisting walking balance using a bio-inspired exoskeleton controller. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 20(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12984-023-01205-9/

van Mierlo, M., Vlutters, M., van Asseldonk, E. H. F., & van der Kooij, H. (2023). Sagittal-plane balance perturbations during very slow walking: Strategies for recovering linear and angular momentum. Journal of Biomechanics, 152, 111580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111580

Bayón, C., Keemink, A. Q. L., van Mierlo, M., Rampeltshammer, W., van der Kooij, H., & van Asseldonk, E. H. F. (2022). Cooperative ankle-exoskeleton control can reduce effort to recover balance after unexpected disturbances during walking. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 19(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-022-01000-y

Vlutters, M., van Asseldonk, E. H. F., & van der Kooij, H. (2018). Lower extremity joint-level responses to pelvis perturbation during human walking. Scientific Reports, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32839-8

Vlutters, M., van Asseldonk, E. H. F., & van der Kooij, H. (2016). Center of mass velocity-based predictions in balance recovery following pelvis perturbations during human walking. Journal of Experimental Biology, 219(10), 1514–1523. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.129338

Related projects

Balance control in Challenging Conditions - TTW perspectief program Wearable robotics

Bench Balance

Examples

A demonstration showcasing how our balance perturbation device is used to evaluate a novel exoskeleton balance controller that mimics human postural responses to instability: Bayón, C., Keemink, A. Q. L., van Mierlo, M., Rampeltshammer, W., van der Kooij, H., & van Asseldonk, E. H. F. (2022). Cooperative ankle-exoskeleton control can reduce effort to recover balance after unexpected disturbances during walking. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 19(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-022-01000-y

We introduced a novel method to support balance recovery using an exoskeleton that actively cancels externally applied perturbations. This breakthrough approach has the potential to improme responsiveness in real-time and offers new possibilities for assistive technologies. This contributions won the Best Paper Award at the IEEE RAS EMBS 10th International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob 2024):Eveld, M., van Asseldonk, E., & van der Kooij, H. (2024). A Disturbance-Cancelling Approach for Ankle Exoskeleton Assistance Improves Standing Balance Performance and Reduces Human Effort. Proceedings of the IEEE RAS and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, 1549–1554. https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB60516.2024.10719782