Design and Control of an Omni-Directional Robotic Walker Based on Human–Machine Interaction

Abstract

A cornerstone of the rehabilitative regime for people diagnosed with dyskinesia is walking assist and gait training, however, prolonged care, provided by relatives or professionals, serves as a massive financial burden to patients. The proposed novel robotic walker seeks to address this concern. The walker incorporates human motion intention recognition to facilitate lower limb rehabilitation training and daily walking. The walker design places strong emphasis on patient safety and quality of life by providing omni-directional walking assist, four key pelvic motions that support hip rotations and comfortable body weight support (BWS). Additionally, five sensors were installed to identify the user’s motion intention from the interaction forces surrounding the pelvis and dead zone. Furthermore, Kalman filtering was used to guarantee the quality of the interactive signal while kinematic and dynamic models were derived to generate appropriate driving velocities to support patient’s body weight and improve mobility. To validate our design, the MATLAB simulations and exploratory clinical trials using healthy subjects were performed. Preliminary results demonstrate satisfactory kinematic performance and suggest the walker as a promising therapeutic avenue for individuals suffering from dyskinesia and other associated movement disorders.