Robotic Gait Rehabilitation Trainer

Abstract

This paper presents the basic principle of operation, the mechanical design, and the control system of the Robotic Gait Rehabilitation (RGR) Trainer. This novel single-actuator mechatronic system targets secondary gait deviations affecting patterns of movement of the pelvis in stroke survivors. These deviations arise as compensatory movements associated with primary gait deviations, such as the lack of sufficient knee flexion during the swing phase of the gait cycle. Using an expanded impedance control strategy, the device generates a force field that affects the obliquity of the pelvis (rotation of the pelvis around the anteroposterior axis) via a lower body exoskeleton while the patient ambulates on a treadmill. Preliminary healthy human subject testing demonstrated that the RGR Trainer can effectively guide the pelvis in the frontal plane via force fields to alter pelvic obliquity.