Individuals with neuromuscular impairment from conditions like cerebral palsy face reduced quality of life due to diminishing mobility and independence. Lower-limb exoskeletons have potential aid mobility, yet few studies investigated their use during over-ground walking - an exercise that may contribute our understanding benefit in free-living settings. The goal this study was determine the for adaptive plantar-flexor assistance untethered ankle exoskeleton improve economy speed. Six...

Ankle exoskeletons can improve walking mechanics and energetics, but few untethered devices have demonstrated improved performance usability across a wide range of users terrains. Our goal was to design validate lightweight ankle exoskeleton that effective moderate-to-high intensity ambulation in children through adults with without impairment.

This study aims to explore the effects of running on different surfaces characteristics in-shoe plantar pressure and tibial acceleration. Thirteen male recreational runners were required run at 12 km/h velocity concrete, synthetic track, natural grass, a normal treadmill, treadmill equipped with an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) cushioning underlay (treadmill_EVA), respectively. An system accelerometer attached tuberosity used record analyze impact during running. The results showed that there...

Ankle exoskeletons hold potential to augment human walking ability, yet their use in free-living environments has been limited by the absence of practical and effective control strategies that can appropriately adapt variable terrain. To address this challenge, we derived a novel analytical ankle joint moment estimation model using custom wearable sensors developed an exoskeleton scheme assistance proportional biological plantar-flexor real-time for unimpaired individuals with disabilities...

Background: Functional electrical stimulation-assisted rowing (FES rowing) is a rehabilitation exercise used to prevent disuse osteoporosis, which common in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its effect on bone loss prevention varied SCI patients, potentially due inconsistent loading. This study investigates the of ergometer setup and speed lower extremity loading during rowing. Methods: Twenty able-bodied participants one participant rowed an adapted different speeds setups. We...

Most people with cerebral palsy (CP) suffer from impaired walking ability and pathological gait patterns. Seeking to improve the effectiveness of training in this patient population, study developed assessed feasibility a real-time biofeedback mechanism augment untethered ankle exoskeleton-assisted performance individuals CP. We selected step length as clinically-relevant target utilized visual interface live scores. An adaptive exoskeleton control algorithm provided assistance proportional...

There is still uncertainty concerning the beneficial effects of shoe collar height for ankle sprain prevention and very few data are available in literature regarding effect high-top low-top shoes on muscle responses during landing. The purpose this study was to quantify inversion kinematics pre-landing EMG activation evertor muscles landing a tilted surface.Thirteen physical education students landed four types surfaces wearing either (HS) or (LS). conditions were 15° inversion, 30°...

Many individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) experience gait deficits resulting in metabolically-inefficient ambulation that is exacerbated by graded walking terrains. The primary goal of this study was to clinically-validate the accuracy and efficacy adaptive ankle exoskeleton assistance during steady-state incline stair ascent CP. Exploratory goals were assess safety feasibility using real-world mixed-terrain settings.We used a novel battery-powered provide plantar-flexor stance phase. Seven...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in rapid, severe osteoporosis and an increased risk of lower extremity fractures. Despite the medical complications associated with these fractures, there is no standard care to prevent osteoporotic fractures following SCI. Functional electrical stimulation- (FES-) assisted rowing a promising intervention improve bone health SCI because its ability generate muscular contraction conjunction mechanical loading long bones. Combination therapy consisting...

Despite medical treatment focused on addressing walking disability, many millions of people with neurological conditions, like cerebral palsy (CP), struggle to maintain independent mobility. Lower limb exoskeletons and exosuits may hold potential for augmenting ability. However, it remains unknown whether these wearable robots are safe beneficial use outside highly controlled laboratory environments, the demonstration which is necessary clinical translation. Here, we show that a lightweight,...

Although effects of workload and cadence on sagittal plane knee biomechanics in cycling have been widely studied, few studies examined their impact the frontal plane.The purpose this study was to investigate different workloads cadences biomechanics.Eighteen healthy participants (age, 55.7 ± 11.0 yr) volunteered for study. A motion analysis system a custom instrumented pedal were used collect five cycles three-dimensional kinematics (240 Hz) reaction force (PRF, 1200 during 2 min each eight...

The utilization of sport-related compression garments has attracted a great deal attention from among Sports Science scholars. function the garments, such as to maintain muscle functions, reduce sports injuries and improve athletic performance, been an issue debate since beginning new century. In this study, number methods including literature review, logical analysis mathematical statistics, are used analyse earlier research, which can be found by searching hardcopy journals online...

Age-related deficits in plantar flexor muscle function during the push-off phase of walking likely contribute to decline mobility that affects many older adults. Isolated strengthening muscles has failed improve power or economy this population. New aids and/or functional training interventions may help slow prevent ambulatory elderly.

Hip exoskeletons may hold potential to augment walking performance and mobility in individuals with disabilities. The purpose of this study was design validate a novel autonomous hip exoskeleton user-adaptive control strategy capable reducing the energy cost level incline without impairment. First, small cohort three unimpaired individuals, we validated ability our provide flexion-extension torque that proportional biological moment reduce (24 ± 5% 13 reductions, respectively). Next,...

Abstract Background Electromyography (EMG)-based audiovisual biofeedback systems, developed and tested in research settings to train neuromuscular control patient populations such as cerebral palsy (CP), have inherent implementation obstacles that may limit their translation clinical practice. The purpose of this study was design validate an alternative, plantar pressure-based system for improving ankle flexor recruitment during walking individuals with CP. Methods Eight CP (11–18 years old)...

People with lower-limb hemiparesis have impaired function on one side of the body that affects their walking ability. Wearable robotic assistance has been investigated to treat hemiparetic gait by applying paretic limb. In this exploratory case series, we sought compare effects bilateral vs. paretic-limb-only ankle exoskeleton performance in a series three heterogeneous presentations hemiparesis. A secondary goal was validate use real-time ankle-moment-adaptive control system for effectively...