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  4. Control and Implementation of a Powered Lower Limb Orthosis to Aid Walking in Paraplegic Individuals

Control and Implementation of a Powered Lower Limb Orthosis to Aid Walking in Paraplegic Individuals

IEEE Int Conf Rehabil Robot, 2011 · DOI: 10.1109/ICORR.2011.5975481 · Published: January 1, 2011

Assistive Technology

Simple Explanation

This paper discusses a robotic device called a powered lower-limb orthosis designed to help people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) walk. It provides support and movement at the hip and knee joints. The device is controlled by the user shifting their weight and body posture, making it intuitive to use. The orthosis has been tested on a paraplegic individual and has shown promising results in enabling walking. The initial trials showed the device effectively enabled the participant to walk within parallel bars, offering a potential means to restore mobility for individuals with paraplegia.

Study Duration
Not specified
Participants
Single paraplegic subject (T10 complete)
Evidence Level
Level 4, Case Study

Key Findings

  • 1
    The powered orthosis and control system can effectively provide walking within parallel bars.
  • 2
    The user interface based on center-of-pressure (CoP) allows intuitive control of the orthosis through upper-body movements.
  • 3
    The orthosis provides repeatable joint angle trajectories during walking, resembling healthy gait kinematics.

Research Summary

This paper introduces a powered lower limb orthosis designed to aid walking in paraplegic individuals by providing assistive torques at the hip and knee joints, controlled via upper-body movements. Experimental implementation on a paraplegic subject showed that the orthosis and controller effectively enable walking within parallel bars at an average speed of 0.8 km/hr. The orthosis features a finite state machine control structure, a user interface based on center of pressure, and provides repeatable joint angle trajectories, demonstrating potential for restoring mobility.

Practical Implications

Restoration of Mobility

The powered orthosis offers a means to restore legged mobility to individuals with paraplegia, improving their quality of life.

Intuitive Control

The user interface based on center of pressure allows for intuitive control of the orthosis, minimizing the need for explicit commands.

Potential for Commercialization

The orthosis demonstrates promising performance and could be further developed for commercial use, providing a practical solution for paraplegic individuals.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    Single subject study
  • 2
    Experiments conducted only within parallel bars
  • 3
    High-level control implemented on a laptop computer

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