A programmable limb testing system (and some measurements of intrinsic muscular and reflex-mediated stiffnesses)

A new versatile apparatus for investigating the neuromusculoskeletal dynamics of the upper limb, termed the Programmable Limb Testing System (PLTS) has been designed, built, and tested. The planning, construction, and operation of this system are described in this paper. Results are presented from a limited set of experiments, measuring intrinsic muscular and reflex-mediated stiffnesses of the triceps brachii, which exhibit the system's performance and some of its capabilities.