Abstract
This study proposed a user-tracking control algorithm for a powered wheeled walker and examined how it improves the tracking performance of a user. Our newly developed powered wheeled walker based on the mechanism of infant walker and powered wheelchair has enhanced walking stability and needs less physical power to be moved. The walker is able to smoothly track user’s various movements (i.e. forward, backward translation, and rotation) using pelvis motion sensors determining walking direction and stereo cameras analyzing lower extremity motion. In particular, weighting factors of controllers using pelvis motion sensor and stereo cameras can be suitably adjustable online. The experimental testing was conducted to examine walker’s tracking performance, and the results from electromyography testing showed that the walker based on user-tracking control algorithm significantly decreased the magnitude of exerted muscle strength in both upper and lower extremity compared to conventional passive wheeled walker. Thus, we were able to successfully verify that the proposed walker can automatically track a user with gait impairment for safe walking without a helper.
Highlights
The need for walking assistive or rehabilitation device has gradually increased for the elderly and people with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders.[1,2,3] The population of age 65 years and above exceeds 11% since 2010 in South Korea
We have developed a powered wheeled walker, that is, motor-driven wheelchair and baby walker combined in order to prevent users from falling, that allows to use both arms and realize real ground walking without pulling the walker, thanks to motors since 2013.17,18 Figure 2 shows the design concept
We developed a feedback and feedforward tracking control algorithm using pelvis and lower extremity motions collected by pelvis motion sensors and stereo cameras to reduce reaction time and to increase tracking accuracy
Summary
The need for walking assistive or rehabilitation device has gradually increased for the elderly and people with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders.[1,2,3] The population of age 65 years and above exceeds 11% since 2010 in South Korea. Pelvis motion sensors located on the left and right sides of the pelvis supporter track users’ walking will and direction by measuring rotational angle using variable resistance (Figure 5). As shown in equation (5), all the control signals from pelvis motion sensors and stereo cameras are applied to wheel motors in the walker.
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