Monitoring the Walking Pattern of Lower Limb Prosthetic Users Using Mobile Accelerometer Apps

Traditional planning of biped robot walking patterns solves optimal trajectory for minimizing energy consumption. However, a diversity of biped robot walking functions lead to a variety of walking types. The walking patterns to implement a variety of biped robot objectives should have enough parameters to cope with their functions. In this article, walking patterns based on two 4-3-4 polynomials for the trajectories of biped robot waist and lower limb are proposed. The main advantage of the walking pattern is that 4-3-4 polynomials containing the parameters of acceleration and deceleration for biped walking make the implementation of a variety of walking types possible. In the study, the prototype mechanism of a biped robot is designed. After that, the direct and inverse kinematic equations of the biped robot are derived. For studying motion energy of biped robots, kinetic and potential energies are also defined. Based on these definitions, the parameters of the biped robot trajectories for minimum motion energy are solved. The solution is summarized by a development procedure. In addition, the study of zero moment point (ZMP) during the biped robot in walking is included.

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Characterization of speed adaptation while walking on an omnidirectional treadmill

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation ◽

10.1186/s12984-020-00787-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Smit Soni ◽

Anouk Lamontagne

Keyword(s):

Lower Limb ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Low Cost ◽

Weight Bearing ◽

Step Length ◽

Overground Walking ◽

Walking Pattern ◽

Spatiotemporal Parameters ◽

Walking Speeds ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Conventional treadmills are widely used for gait retraining in rehabilitation setting. Their usefulness for training more complex locomotor tasks, however, remains limited given that they do not allow changing the speed nor the direction of walking which are essential walking adaptations for efficient and safe community ambulation. These drawbacks can be addressed by using a self-pace omnidirectional treadmill, as those recently developed by the gaming industry, which allows speed changes and locomotor movements in any direction. The extent to which these treadmills yield a walking pattern that is similar to overground walking, however, is yet to be determined. Methods The objective of this study was to compare spatiotemporal parameters, body kinematics and lower limb muscle activation of healthy young individuals walking at different speeds (slow, comfortable, fast) on a low-cost non-motorized omnidirectional treadmill with and without virtual reality (VR) vs. overground. Results Results obtained from 12 young healthy individuals (18–29 years) showed that participants achieved slower speed on the treadmill compared to overground. On the treadmill, faster walking speeds were achieved by a mere increase in cadence, as opposed to a combined increase in cadence and step length when walking overground. At matched speed, enhanced stance phase knee flexion, reduced late stance ankle plantarflexion, as well as enhanced activation amplitudes of hip extensors in late stance and hip extensors in early swing were observed. The addition of VR to treadmill walking had little or no effect of walking outcomes. Collectively, results show that the omnidirectional treadmill yields a different walking pattern and lead to different adaptations to speed compared to overground walking. We suggest that these alterations are mainly driven by the reduced shear forces between the weight bearing foot and supporting surface and a perceived threat to balance on the omnidirectional treadmill. Conclusion Since such treadmills are likely to be used for prolonged periods of time by gamers or patients undergoing physical rehabilitation, further research should aim at determining the impact of repeated exposure on gait biomechanics and lower limb musculoskeletal integrity.

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