Gait enhancing mobile shoe (GEMS) for rehabilitation

Individuals with certain types of central nervous system damage, such as stroke, have an asymmetric walking gait. Using a split-belt treadmill, where each leg walks at a different speed, has been shown to help rehabilitate walking impaired individuals, but there is one distinct drawback; the corrected gait does not transfer well to walking over ground. To increase the gait transference to another environment, we designed and built a passive shoe that admits a motion similar to that felt when walking on a split-belt treadmill. Our gait enhancing mobile shoe (GEMS) alters the wearer's gait by causing one foot to move backward during the stance phase while walking over ground. No external power is required since the shoe mechanically converts the wearers downward and horizontal forces into a backward motion. This shoe would allow a patient to walk over ground while experiencing the same gait altering effects as felt on a split-belt treadmill, which should aid in transferring the corrected gait to walking in natural environments.

[1]  David A. Winter,et al.  Stiffness control of balance during quiet standing , 1997 .

[2]  Steven C Cramer,et al.  Robotics, motor learning, and neurologic recovery. , 2004, Annual review of biomedical engineering.

[3]  Darcy S. Reisman,et al.  SPLIT-BELT TREADMILL ADAPTATION and GAIT SYMMETRY POST-STROKE. , 2005 .

[4]  V. Dietz,et al.  Contribution of feedback and feedforward strategies to locomotor adaptations. , 2006, Journal of neurophysiology.

[5]  F. Lacquaniti,et al.  Motor patterns for human gait: backward versus forward locomotion. , 1998, Journal of neurophysiology.

[6]  Jaynie F. Yang,et al.  Spinal and Brain Control of Human Walking: Implications for Retraining of Walking , 2006, The Neuroscientist : a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry.

[7]  M. P. Wilson,et al.  Slip resistance testing of shoes — new developments , 1983 .

[8]  Robert E. Keamey Context Dependence of Intrinsic and Reflex Contributions to Ankle Stiffness , 2003 .

[9]  D. Winter,et al.  Stiffness control of balance in quiet standing. , 1998, Journal of neurophysiology.

[10]  S. M. Morton,et al.  Cerebellar Contributions to Locomotor Adaptations during Splitbelt Treadmill Walking , 2006, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[11]  J. S. Rietman,et al.  Gait analysis in prosthetics: Opinions, ideas and conclusions , 2002, Prosthetics and orthotics international.

[12]  Shuichi Obuchi,et al.  New Intervention Program for Preventing Falls Among Frail Elderly People: The Effects of Perturbed Walking Exercise Using a Bilateral Separated Treadmill , 2004, American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation.

[13]  James U. Korein,et al.  Robotics , 2018, IBM Syst. J..

[14]  D. Reisman,et al.  Locomotor adaptation on a split-belt treadmill can improve walking symmetry post-stroke. , 2007, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[15]  Marielle Mokhtari,et al.  Hybrid Control with Multi-Contact Interactions for 6DOF Haptic Foot Platform on a Cable-Driven Locomotion Interface , 2008, 2008 Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems.

[16]  K. J. Cole,et al.  Memory representations underlying motor commands used during manipulation of common and novel objects. , 1993, Journal of neurophysiology.

[17]  Jörg Krüger,et al.  HapticWalker---a novel haptic foot device , 2005, TAP.

[18]  M S Redfern,et al.  Biomechanics of slips , 2001, Ergonomics.

[19]  V. Dietz,et al.  Limits of locomotor ability in subjects with a spinal cord injury , 2005, Spinal Cord.

[20]  R. Mann,et al.  The initiation of gait. , 1979, The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume.

[21]  A H Hansen,et al.  Prosthetic foot rollover shapes with implications for alignment of transtibial prostheses , 2000, Prosthetics and orthotics international.

[22]  J B King,et al.  Gait Analysis. An Introduction , 1992 .

[23]  John W. Krakauer,et al.  Independent learning of internal models for kinematic and dynamic control of reaching , 1999, Nature Neuroscience.

[24]  R S Johansson,et al.  Sensory input and control of grip. , 1998, Novartis Foundation symposium.

[25]  Viviana Rota,et al.  Gait Analysis on Split-Belt Force Treadmills: Validation of an Instrument , 2008, American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation.

[26]  David A. Winter,et al.  Human balance and posture control during standing and walking , 1995 .

[27]  J S Rietman,et al.  Gait analysis in prosthetics: opinions, ideas and conclusions. , 2002, Prosthetics and orthotics international.