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Gait training robots are useful for changing gait patterns and decreasing risk of trip. Previous research has reported that decreasing duration of the assistance or guidance of the robot is beneficial for efficient gait training. Although robotic intermittent control method for assisting joint motion has been established, the effect of the robot intervention timing on change of toe clearance is unclear...
Elderly people are at risk of falling because of their low toe clearance. Gait training to improve toe clearance could be instrumental in avoiding tripping. We propose using a gait-training robot that applies torque during the pre-swing phase to achieve this goal. It is still possible to revert to their original trajectory after the training, however, depending on the magnitude of the applied torque...
This paper presents a visual feedback available robotic gait training system for motor recovery of hemiplegic stroke survivors. The system is composed of a treadmill consisting of two split belts, a pelvic support manipulator assisting patient's pelvic movement, and a visual interface feedbacking patient's gait phase. The split-belt treadmill allow patient to walk in different velocities between sound...
Elderly people are at risk of tripping because of their narrow range of articular motion. To avoid tripping, gait training that improves their range of articular motion would be beneficial. In this study we propose a gait-training robot that applies a torque during the pre-swing phase to achieve this goal. We investigated the relationship between magnitude of applied torque and change in the range...
The increase in care-receiver/caregiver ratio is becoming a social problem in Japan, one factor in which is the increase in the number of falls in the elderly. The purpose of this study is to develop a balance training ability system for fall prevention. To effectively improve balance ability while walking, dynamic training specialized for somatic sensation is useful. We developed a system that greatly...
In this study, we describe a manipulator that induces a horizontal surface rotation motion of the shoulder so as to change the phase difference between the shoulder and the upper arm. We constructed an algorithm that estimates the time of heel contact while participants walk on a treadmill, and controls the axial rotation angle of the shoulder at that time. We verified the accuracy of the proposed...
More and more stroke survivors are suffering from physical motor impairments. Current therapeutic interventions have various limits to the efficient recovery of normal motor function of the lower limbs. Therefore, we propose a novel gait rehabilitation system for hemiplegic patients after stroke. It integrates functional electrical stimulation (FES) with a pelvis-supporting robotic system. A corresponding...
Nowadays, an increasing number of people with stroke are suffering considerably from a loss of physical mobility. Various traditional interventions have been developed to restore survivors' normal motor function following a stroke, but their effects are considerably limited. Many of these techniques require physical therapist's observation, specifically designed preparatory exercises and direct control...
Robotic gait training has been introduced recently in rehabilitation, and the related researches have been conducted to propose more effective mechanism and control. To automate gait training, position control with reference trajectory has been adopted in many researches. However, there remain problems such as enhancing self-dominated gait or adapting to asymmetry or individual difference to apply...
We have been developing an omnidirectional walker (ODW) for walking support. In walking support, it is necessary control the ODW following the user's direction and velocity intentions. In this paper, a novel interface is proposed to recognize the user's intentions according to the forearm pressures. The forearm pressures exerted to the ODW by the user with wrists and elbows are measured by 4 force...
We have been developing a new vehicle, “Tread-Walk 2 (TW-2)”, which supports walking for the elderly. TW-2 is controlled by the natural walking movement. In our previous work, we tried to estimate the user's anteroposterior force from the motor current value without a force sensor in order to possible to have a more intuitive operability of TW-2. But, a user of this vehicle experienced some discomfort...
Gait phase based body weight support can be an effective method for patients who possess different ability in each leg and who require different unloading forces between the affected and unaffected sides. To realize this concept, we proposed a gait phase estimation method from pelvic motion focusing on the feature of its quasi-periodic movement at constant walking speeds. In this study, we analyzed...
The objective of this study is to develop a 3D ankle-foot model containing toe expression for designing an AFO (ankle-foot orthosis) with a training function. Two experiments were conducted to (1) show the influence of toes by comparing walking with and without an AFO, and (2) clarify the functions of toes during walking by correlating the activity of the major muscles controlling the ankle and the...
Walking is a fundamental human ability necessary for everyday life. We have developed an omnidirectional walker (ODW) for walking support to those who have walking disabilities. It is necessary for the ODW to know which direction the user is intending to go during walking support. A novel interface is proposed for the ODW to recognize directional intention according to the user's forearm pressures...
We have been developing the new personal mobility aid, “Tread-Walk 1,” which is controlled by the driver's walking pace and amplifies walking velocity. The Tread-Walk 1 not only assists mobility but also helps the elderly maintain their physical abilities. However, the turning movement of the Tread-Walk is likely to be unstable, because the Tread-Walk is controlled by walking. In this paper, we focus...
A walking rehabilitation system is proposed which includes both muscle strength enhancement by walking rehabilitation machines and neurological rehabilitation by imaginary walking. In a previous study, we have demonstrated that the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) in motor area during imaginary walking was higher than that during real walking by means of fNIRS (functional Near-InfraRed...
A split belt treadmill robot for gait rehabilitation was developed to improve the symmetry of the stance phase time of patients with stroke. The system, which increases the stance phase time of the affected leg and then realizes a well-balanced gait, is divided into two components. First, the stance phase of the unaffected (“sound”) and affected legs is measured and presented visually in real time...
A movable body weight support (BWS) system for overground walking has limitations with respect to power and space for actuators. To solve this problem, a novel method by which to estimate the gait cycle from pelvic movement and feed forward control for leg-dependent force control are proposed. Based on an experiment on gait cycle estimation, a method of estimating heel contact timing from pelvic rotation...
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