Interlimb coordination changes during passive exoskeleton-assisted gait is due to spring-loaded assistance but not device weight

Advisor Information

Mukul Mukherjee

Location

MBSC 308

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Start Date

6-3-2020 12:45 PM

End Date

6-3-2020 2:00 PM

Abstract

Healthy walking requires smooth coordination between the two legs, but diseases like stroke impair this healthy coordination. Gait assistive devices, like exoskeletons, have potential to restore healthy coordination between the legs during walking in those with coordination deficits. Specifically, passive exoskeletons have the capacity to reduce the duration and the repeatability of inter-limb coordination. However, it is not clear if this reduction is due to spring-loaded assistance provided by the device or merely its weight on the individual. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how the weight of an exoskeleton affected inter-limb coordination.

Healthy young participants were assigned to either a unilateral exoskeleton group, unilateral limb loading group, or control group. All groups then performed normal walking at preferred speed. Inter-limb coordination was examined using nonlinear tools, specifically, cross-recurrence quantification analysis and cross-sample entropy of the kinematics of the heel marker. Results showed that cross-recurrence was significantly affected by group assignment however, cross sample entropy was not. A significantly shorter duration of coordination for the exoskeleton group in comparison to the other two groups showed that this capacity in to alter inter-limb coordination through passive exoskeleton-assistance is not because of its weight. In addition, exoskeleton-assistance does not disrupt the natural regularity of gait. Thus exoskeleton assistance may play a key role in restoring disrupted inter-limb coordination in those with coordination deficits which cannot be achieved by limb loading.

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Mar 6th, 12:45 PM Mar 6th, 2:00 PM

Interlimb coordination changes during passive exoskeleton-assisted gait is due to spring-loaded assistance but not device weight

MBSC 308

Healthy walking requires smooth coordination between the two legs, but diseases like stroke impair this healthy coordination. Gait assistive devices, like exoskeletons, have potential to restore healthy coordination between the legs during walking in those with coordination deficits. Specifically, passive exoskeletons have the capacity to reduce the duration and the repeatability of inter-limb coordination. However, it is not clear if this reduction is due to spring-loaded assistance provided by the device or merely its weight on the individual. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how the weight of an exoskeleton affected inter-limb coordination.

Healthy young participants were assigned to either a unilateral exoskeleton group, unilateral limb loading group, or control group. All groups then performed normal walking at preferred speed. Inter-limb coordination was examined using nonlinear tools, specifically, cross-recurrence quantification analysis and cross-sample entropy of the kinematics of the heel marker. Results showed that cross-recurrence was significantly affected by group assignment however, cross sample entropy was not. A significantly shorter duration of coordination for the exoskeleton group in comparison to the other two groups showed that this capacity in to alter inter-limb coordination through passive exoskeleton-assistance is not because of its weight. In addition, exoskeleton-assistance does not disrupt the natural regularity of gait. Thus exoskeleton assistance may play a key role in restoring disrupted inter-limb coordination in those with coordination deficits which cannot be achieved by limb loading.