• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.725-730
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• 2004

This paper has regarded mechanism design of cane-like passive type walking aid for the elderly using 3-RPS parallel manipulator. First, gait patterns of the elderly have been experimented. By means of motion capturing and image processing, we decided loaded forces and places of the cane when the elderly walked with a cane. Using these results we have developed a passive type walking aid. Second, the walking pattern has been simulated using dynamic analysis program, ADAMS and we find out the similarity between the real walking and the simulated walking. Finally after assuring the similarity, with adjusting the new mechanism design to the simulated walking we will decide whether the walking aid is safe and stable when the elderly walks with this cane-like walking aid. This paper will be basis for the development of the mechanism design applying 3-RPS parallel manipulator.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.250-257
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• 2018

Objecctives: This study investigates the effects of using customized walking aids individualized for stroke patients by measuring the effects of different cane lengths to determine the ideal length of walking aids for stroke patients. Methods: Cane lengths were determined from the greater trochanter with walking aids measured 5cm below, at the greater trochanter and 5cm above. All patients walked for ten meters with each cane length to measure speed. Then, we measured the opto gait, timed up go test, and electromyography three times each. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed model, and in the case of significance, the p-value was corrected using the Bonferroni method. Results: There was a statistically significant differences in time up and go test(TUGT), 10m walking, stride and speed between the groups. Conclusions: Long cane length increases body symmetry, stride, increasing muscle activity, and short cane length increases balance and walking.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.205-213
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of somatosensory input on the gait ability and equilibrium sensory of elderly women. The subjects who participated in this study were 31 elderly women with a mean age of 75 years or older who no using a walking stick and had no abnormality in otolaryngology. The control group consisted of 30 elderly women who did not exercise regularly more than twice a week. Dependent variables consisted of 2.44m timed up and go test, 10m usual gait, 10m fast gait and 6minute gait. The equilibrium sensory test was performed using EquiTest (NeuroCom, USA). The results of the study on gait ability were not statistically significant for 2.44m timed up and go test, and 10m usual gait. However, 10m fast gait (P<.001) and 6min gait (P<.05) showed significant differences. According to the results of the study on equilibrium sensory ability, there was no significant difference between Condition 1 and Condition 5 however Condition 2 (P<.01), Condition 3 (P<.01), Condition 4(P<.01) and Condition 6 (P<.05) showed statistically significant differences. In conclusion, walking stick have beneficial effects on walking and equilibrium sensation, and elderly women need to actively use walking stick when going out and walking.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.441-448
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• 2010

In the aging society, the walking assist robot is a necessary device for being able to help the older and the lower limb disabled people to walk. In order to produce a convenient robot for the older and the lower limb disabled, it is needed for the research to detect the implicit walking intention and to control robot by a user's intention. This study is a previous study to develop the detection model of the walking intention and analyze the user's walking intention while a person is walking with Lofstrand crutches, by the combination of FSR and tilt signals. The FSR sensors attached user's the palm and the soles of foot are sensing force/pressure signals from these areas and are used for detecting the walking intention and states. The tilt sensor acquires roll and pitch signal from area of vertebrae lumbales and reflects the pose of the upper limb. We can recognize the user's walking intention such as 'start walking', 'start of right or left foot forward', and 'stop walking' by the combination of FSR and tilt signals can recognize.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.31-38
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• 2020

In this paper, we compare and analyze smart technologies and present six obstacle detection features to help visually impaired people walk. Traditionally, visually impaired people walk with the white cane or a guide dog. With the development of IoT technology, various smart walking aids systems have been developed. Those intelligent walking aids systems have obstacle-detecting systems and route-guidance systems. Many researchers are developing the walking aids system, which detects an obstacle and provides the obstacle information by haptic feedback. Also, they are designing the database server system to share the obstacle information. Particularly the composed system can quickly give an obstacle-avoidance route using shared obstacle information. Smart walking aids systems for visually impaired people will advance more rapidly by applying machine learning and intelligent systems.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.45-54
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• 2020

This study investigated basic data on walking characteristics, including walking speed and cognitive-response for the elderly, and based on these, the time of walking signal was calculated. The on-site survey examined the actual pedestrian crossing speed using a stopwatch, and the age was divided into groups of ordinary people and the elderly. Analysis of the data showed that the average walking speed for the general public was 1.29 m/s, while the average walking speed for the elderly was 1.13 m/s, higher than that of the general public. In addition, the lower speed of the 15th percentile was analyzed to 1.01 m/s for the general population and 0.85 m/s for the elderly, showing a lower walking speed than the standard for the general area and 0.8 m/s for the protected area. However, for senior citizens who use walking sticks or wheelchairs, the speed of the lower 15th-percentile is 0.73 m/s, which is lower than the current standard of protected areas, according to the analysis.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.366-372
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• 2016

This paper advances the software, hardware and mechanical design that the visually impaired can recognize the position and distance of the obstacle while walking. The first software implementation is proposed a method to implement the algorithm graph for the ratio of the distance measuring ultrasonic sensors for voltage. And it was extracted by the precise distance measuring parameter values from simulation to measure the precise distance. Second hardware implementation was designed to be able to detect obstacles in a relatively simple sensor-based walking aid for the visually impaired. In addition, using the switching regulator IC of high performance it was designed to be used to boost the Li-ion battery 3.7V to 5V. The third mechanism was developed by analyzing the sensor angle and the cane angle.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.249-256
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• 2016

Recently, a number of techniques to ensure the free walking for the visually impaired and transportation vulnerable have been studied. As a device for free walking, there are such as a smart cane and smart glasses to use the computer vision, ultrasonic sensor, acceleration sensor technology. In a typical technique, such as techniques for finds object and detect obstacles and walking area and recognizes the symbol information for notice environment information. In this paper, we studied recognization algorithm of the selected symbols that are required to visually impaired, with the deep learning algorithm. As a results, Use CNN(Convolutional Nueral Network) technique used in the field of deep-learning image processing, and analyzed by comparing through experimentation with various deep learning architectures.