Robotics for Gait Training After Spinal Cord Injury
By Galvez, Jose A.; Reinkensmeyer, David J.; Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 18-33Publication Date: Fall 2005
Article discusses the use of robotic devices in therapeutic interventions that aim to help people with spinal cord injury to regain some degree of mobility. A total of nine robotic therapy devices are discussed: (1) the Gait Trainer from Reha-Stim, (2) the Lokomat from Hocoma Medical Engineering, Incorporated, (3) the AutoAmbulator from Healthsouth, (4) the Haptic Walker, (5) the Adaptive Lokomat, (6) the ARTHuR, (7) POGO, (8) PAM, and (9) the String-Man. The Gait Trainer consists of two footplates that attach to the client’s feet. The footplates are driven by a mechanism that moves the foot along a fixed ellipsoid trajectory via double crank and rocker system. The Lokomat is a motorized exoskeleton worn during treadmill walking. Four rotary joints move hip and knee flexion and extension for each leg. The AutoAmbulator is a body weight-supported treadmill robot system that employs robotic arms strapped to the client’s legs at the thigh and ankle, driving them through a stepping pattern. The Haptic Walker is a later version of the gait trainer that maintains foot/machine contact, but allows the footplates to move along three-degree-of-freedom trajectories. The device incorporates force sensing, compliance control, and haptic simulation of ground conditions. The ARTHuR is a two-degree-of-freedom robot that utilizes linear electric motors to apply forces to the leg during stepping, while PAM is a five-degree-of-freedom robot that accommodates natural pelvic movement during walking. The POGO is a leg robot with pneumatic actuators designed for clinical purposes, while the String-Man is a wire robot for manipulating the torso via force sensors. Safety issues and the clinical implications associated with the devices are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: LOKOMATPRO (VERSIONS 5 & 6)
Published by: Thomas Land Publishers, Inc. (Website:http://www.thomasland.com)
Link to text: http://thomasland.metapress.com/content/damjg43a16eh1bdk/
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J49699
