Abstract
BackgroundThe advances in technology make possible the incorporation of sensors and actuators in rollators, building safer robots and extending the use of walkers to a more diverse population. This paper presents a new method for the extraction of navigation related components from upper-body force interaction data in walker assisted gait. A filtering architecture is designed to cancel: (i) the high-frequency noise caused by vibrations on the walker's structure due to irregularities on the terrain or walker's wheels and (ii) the cadence related force components caused by user's trunk oscillations during gait. As a result, a third component related to user's navigation commands is distinguished.ResultsFor the cancelation of high-frequency noise, a Benedict-Bordner g-h filter was designed presenting very low values for Kinematic Tracking Error ((2.035 ± 0.358)·10-2 kgf) and delay ((1.897 ± 0.3697)·101ms). A Fourier Linear Combiner filtering architecture was implemented for the adaptive attenuation of about 80% of the cadence related components' energy from force data. This was done without compromising the information contained in the frequencies close to such notch filters.ConclusionsThe presented methodology offers an effective cancelation of the undesired components from force data, allowing the system to extract in real-time voluntary user's navigation commands. Based on this real-time identification of voluntary user's commands, a classical approach to the control architecture of the robotic walker is being developed, in order to obtain stable and safe user assisted locomotion.
Highlights
The advances in technology make possible the incorporation of sensors and actuators in rollators, building safer robots and extending the use of walkers to a more diverse population
Conventional walkers are prescribed according to certain user’s characteristics: 1. Standard or four-legged wakers are useful for patients with poor balance, [4], or for those that require some level of partial body weight support (PBWS), at the cost of compromising gait patterns and posture during gait
The robotic walker developed under the framework of the Simbiosis Project presents a series of sensor subsystems designed for the acquisition of gait parameters and for the characterization of the human-robot interaction during gait, [12]
Summary
The advances in technology make possible the incorporation of sensors and actuators in rollators, building safer robots and extending the use of walkers to a more diverse population. This paper presents a new method for the extraction of navigation related components from upper-body force interaction data in walker assisted gait. A filtering architecture is designed to cancel: (i) the highfrequency noise caused by vibrations on the walker’s structure due to irregularities on the terrain or walker’s wheels and (ii) the cadence related force components caused by user’s trunk oscillations during gait. A third component related to user’s navigation commands is distinguished. Walkers are designed to assist pathological gait, helping in balance, and providing weight support to the user. Standard or four-legged wakers are useful for patients with poor balance, [4], or for those that require some level of partial body weight support (PBWS), at the cost of compromising gait patterns and posture during gait. Rollators should be used by patients that require minimal weight bearing, such as individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease or ataxia, [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
