A training simulator for healthcare provider training may include one or more of the following: a first body component; a second body component; and a joint located at a junction of the first body component and the second body component, where the first body component is rotatable relative to the second body component at the joint. An actuator system for the training simulator may include a linear slider-crank mechanism and an actuator for controlling the linear slider-crank mechanism, where the linear slider-crank mechanism is configured to control a torque required to move the first body component relative to the second body component at the joint, and where control of the linear slider-crank mechanism with the actuator adjusts the torque.