Inverse lagrangian dynamics for animating articulated models

This paper presents the application of inverse Lagrangian dynamics for the purpose of animating articulated models. The method orginates from mechanics and robotics and has been adapted to deal with branched kinematic chains and joints with multiple degrees of freedom. The method is then reformulated to calculate the ground reaction forces that apply to the body. The approach is direct and does not involve guesswork. The formulation has been implemented into a general animation system that is entirely interactive and supports the facility of simulating generic articulated models.