The feasible stability region.

The illustration showing the feasible stability region (FSR) which is bounded by two borders: the limit against backward balance loss (the lower boundary) and the one against forward balance loss (the upper boundary). The stability measurement (s, the length of the thin solid line) indicates the magnitude of the instantaneous stability of the center of mass (COM) against backward balance loss, and is calculated as the shortest distance from the instantaneous COM motion state (i.e., the x- and y-coordinates represents the COM anteroposterior position and velocity, respectively) to the limit against backward balance loss. Also shown is a representative COM motion state trajectory of an overground walking (the thin line) progressing from the touchdown (TD, filled circle), through the contralateral foot liftoff (LO, square), and immediately prior to the contralateral foot TD (open circle). Position and velocity of the COM relative to the base of support (BOS) are dimensionless as a fraction of l_BOS and , respectively, where l_BOS represents the foot length, g is gravitational acceleration, and bh the body height. When the COM motion state is outside the FSR, the person is either backward instable (below the limit against backward balance loss) or forward instable (above the limit against forward balance loss). A recovery step becomes necessary to keep the person from falling either backward or forward.