Robot-assisted balance training for gait modification

Abstract

Diminished balance control while walking is a main concern for people with stroke. An appropriate training method would help improve their balance during walking. In this study, we examined if a novel robot-assisted balance training (RABT) program could change human gait patterns. Five healthy individuals underwent a RABT program with either stepping or standing movements. An external perturbation using a force field was applied to the lower trunk to alter weight distribution patterns during training. The results showed that people who had a RABT with stepping movements demonstrated a greater change in gait patterns compared to those who had the RABT with standing movements. This suggests that the RABT program with stepping movements can be used as a rehabilitation approach to facilitate an adaptation of a new balance control pattern in human beings.