A ROBOTICS PLATFORM INTEGRATED WITH FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION FOR GAIT REHABILITATION

Abstract

This work presents a biomechanical study of the effects of robotic gait training by using an omni-directional mobile platform for overground gait training. It integrates the mobile platform with a feedback control of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). The mobile platform, henceforth the “walker”, aids mobility by combining three types of therapeutic intervention: forward/backward propulsion of the body’s center of mass, controlled BWS, and FES for the correction of drop-foot. The closed-loop FES controls the timing of stimulation and adjusts its intensity based on kinematic data extracted from inertial measurement units (IMUs) worn by the user. In this thesis, we present testing results from stroke patients and healthy adults. It provides an initial validation of the proposed technology. We obtained preliminary evidence that the walker system is appropriate for overground walking training in stroke. The next step of our research is to conduct a randomized controlled trial with control and intervention group.