• 한국전문물리치료학회지
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.81-90
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• 2003

This study was conducted to assess the effects of the gait training method in incomplete spinal cord injured persons using an auto-walking machine. Persons with incomplete spinal cord injury level C or D on the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale participated for eight weeks in an auto-walking training program. The gait training program was carried out for 15 minutes, three times per day for 8 weeks with an auto-walking machine. The foot rests of the auto-walking machine can be moved forward, downward, backward and upward to make the gait pattern with fixed on crank. The patient's body weight is supported by a harness during waking training. We evaluated the gait speed, physiologic cost index, motor score of lower extremities and the WISCI (walking index for spinal cord injury) level before the training and after the forth and eighth week of walking training. 1. The mean gait speed was significantly increased from .22 m/s at pre-training to .28 m/s after 4 weeks of training and .31 m/s after 8 weeks of training (p=.004). 2. The mean physiologic cost index was decreased from 4.6 beats/min at pre-training to 3.0 beats/min after 4 weeks and 2.0 beats/min after 8 weeks of training, but it was not statistically significant (p=.140). 3. The mean motor score of lower extrernities was significantly increased from 29.8 to 35.8 after 8 weeks of training (p=.043). 4. The mean WISCI level was significantly increased from level 10 to level 19 after 8 weeks of training (p=.007). The results of this study suggest that the gait training program using the auto-walking machine increased the gait speed, muscle strength and galt pattern (WISCI level) in persons with incomplete spinal cord injury. A large, controlled study of this technique is warranted.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.297-302
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to investigate the kinematic gait parameter of lower extremities with different gait conditions (level walking, stair, ramp) in hemiplegic patients. Methods: Ten hemiplegic patients participated in this study and kinematic data were measured using a 3D motion analysis system (LUKOtronic AS202, Lutz-kovacs-Electronics, Innsbruk, Austria). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way repeated measure of ANOVA in order to determine the difference of lower extremity angle at each gait phase with different gait conditions. Results: Affected degree of ankle joint in the heel strike phase showed significant difference between level walking and climbing stairs, and toe off phase showed significant difference between level walking and climbing stairs, ramps, and climbing stairs. Affected degree of knee joint showed no significant difference in all attempts. Affected degree of hip joint in the toe off phase showed significant difference between level walking, ramps and stairs, and climbing ramps. Swing phase showed significant difference between sides for level walking and stairs, climbing ramps. Affected ankle joint of heel strike and toe off, and affected hip joint of toe off and the maximum angle of swing phase in the angle was increased. Unaffected side of the ankle joint, knee joint, and hip joint showed a significant increase in walking phase. Conclusion: These findings indicate that compared with level walking, different results were obtained for joint angle of lower extremity when climbing stairs and ramps. In hemiplegia patient's climbing ramps, stairs, more movement was observed not only for the non-affected side but also the ankle joint of the affected side and hip joint. According to these findings of hemiplegic patients when climbing stairs or ramps, more joint motion was observed not only on the unaffected side but also on the affected side compared with flat walking.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제12권9호
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• pp.926-934
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• 2006

This paper proposes intelligent control of a virtual walking machine that can generate infinite floor for various surfaces and can provide proprioceptive feedback of walking to a user. This machine allows users to participate in a life-like walking experience in virtual environments with various terrains. The controller of the machine is implemented hierarchically, at low-level for robust actuator control, at mid-level fur platform control to compensate the external forces by foot contact, and at high-level control for generating walking trajectory. The high level controller is suggested to generate continuous walking on an infinite floor for various terrains. For the high level control, each independent platform follows a man foot during the swing phase, while the other platform moves back during single stance phase. During double limb support, two platforms manipulate neutral positions to compensate the offset errors generated by velocity changes. This control can, therefore, satisfy natural walking conditions in any direction. Transition phase between the swing and the stance phases is detected by using simple switch sensor system, while human foot motions are sensed by careful calibration with a magnetic motion tracker attached to the shoe. Experimental results of walking simulations at level ground, slope, and stairs, show that with the proposed machine, a general person can walk naturally on various terrains with safety and without any considerable disturbances. This interface can be applied to various areas such as VR navigations, rehabilitation, and gait analysis.

• 한국융합학회논문지
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• 제11권12호
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• pp.451-456
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• 2020

본 연구의 목적은 장애인의 보행 보조 기구의 사용 능력에 따른 보행 보조 기구의 사용과 일상생활 수행정도를 비교하는 것이다. 연구자료는 2014년 한국복지패널 표본에서 추출하였다. 전체 435,947 자료를 교차분석과 t-검정을 이용하여 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 독립적으로 보행 보조 장치를 사용할 수 없는 장애인들이 장애정도가 더 심하고 일상생활 수준도 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 또한 사회참여 수준과 여가활동 수준도 역시 비교그룹에 비해 독립적으로 사용하는 그룹에서 현저히 낮았다. 보행보조기는 장애인의 보행보조기 사용에 있어 장애인의 독립성 수준에 따라 맞춤형으로 해야 한다는 결론이 도출되었다.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 2001년도 ICCAS
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• pp.171.2-171
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• 2001

This paper presents a force control of a arm of walking training robot. The current gait training apparatus in hospital are ineffective for the difficulty in keeping constant unloading level and constraining patients to walk freely. The proposed walking training robot is designed to unload body weight effectively during walking. The walking training robot consists of unloading manipulator and mobile platform. The manipulator driven with a electro-mechanical linear mechanism unloads body weight in various level. The mobile platform is wheel type, which allows to patients unconstrained walking. Unloading system with electro-mechanical linear mechanism has been developed, which has advantages such as low noise level, light weight, low manufacturing cost and low power consumption. A system model for the manipulator ...

• PNF and Movement
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.31-36
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• 2009

Many daily activities require people to complete a motor task while walking. Substantial gait decrements during simultaneous attention to a variety of cognitive tasks have been shown by a group of severely injured neurological patients of mixed etiology. And previous studies have shown that the attentional load of a walking-associated task increased with its level of difficulty. The purpose of this study was to analyze subjects' gait changes are affected by the effects of arithmetic task difficulty and performance level. Participants performed a walking task alone, three different Arithmetic tasks while seated, and among them, two kinds of the simillar Arithmetic tasks in combination with walking. Reaction time and accuracy were recorded for two of the Arithmetic tasks. The mean values of the gait were measured using a Timed Up and Go test among 11 with post-stroke patients while walking with and without forward counting (WFC) and backward counting(WBC).There was significant Arithmetic Task Difficulty level between the 10-forward counting task condition(FC) and the 10-backward counting task condition(BC)(p=0.008). The mean values of T.U.G time were significantly higher under backward counting dual-task condition than during a simple walking task(p=0.009) and WFC(p=0.009). The change in T.U.G time during WFC was higher when compared with the change during a simple walking, but there was no significant difference (p=0.246). This study suggesting that a high interference could be linked with a high level of difficulty, whereas adaptive task enabled participants to perfectly share their attention between two concurrent tasks. Future research should determine whether dual task training can reduce gait decrements in dual task situations in people after stroke. And the dual-task-based exercise program is feasible and beneficial for improving walking ability in subjects with stroke.

• 한국전문물리치료학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.89-99
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• 2013

The purposes of this study were: 1) to show the item difficulty hierarchy of walking/moving construct of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Activity Measure (ICF-AM), 2) to evaluate the item-level psychometrics for model fit, 3) to describe the relevant physical activity defined by level of activity intensity expressed as Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks (MET), and 4) to explore what extent the empirical activity hierarchy of the ICF-AM is linked to the conceptual model based on the level of energy expenditure described as MET. One hundred and eight participants with lower extremity impairments were examined for the present study. A newly created activity measure, the ICF-AM using an item response theory (IRT) model and computer adaptive testing (CAT) method, has a construct on walking/moving construct. Based on the ICF category of walking and moving, the instrument comprised items corresponding to: walking short distances, walking long distances, walking on different surfaces, walking around objects, climbing, and running. The item difficulty hierarchy was created using Winstep software for 20 items. The Rasch analyses (1-parameter IRT model) were performed on participants with lower extremity injuries who completed the paper and pencil version of walking/moving construct of the ICF-AM. The classification of physical activity can also be performed by the use of METs that is often preferred to determine the level of physical activity. The empirical item hierarchy of walking, climbing, running activities of the ICF-AM instrument was similar to the conceptual activity hierarchy based on the METs. The empirically derived item difficulty hierarchy of the ICF-AM may be useful in developing MET-based activity measure questionnaires. In addition to convenience of applying items to questionnaires, implications of the finding could lead to the use of CAT method without sacrificing the objectivity of physiologic measures.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.440-454
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• 2014

This study examined the wearing effect of 3D compression suits on quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) during walking and rest. Ten males in their 20s wore three types of experimental clothing, a loose-fit wear (BS), a 3D compression suit (3D CS), and a power film welded on CS (3D WCS); in addition, EEG signals were measured during resting, walking, after walking, and after sit-ups. The results showed that a higher pressure (due to 3D CS and 3D WCS) increased the 'Concentration' level and the 'Cognitive load' of brain waves during treadmill walking due to a higher cortex activity level when walking. Differentiation was shown between two compression suits and BS was enhanced during walking on a treadmill; however, the brain waves of 'Relaxation' between two compression suits were significantly different after walking, i.e., 'Relaxation' level of 3D WCS was the highest. Rigorous exercise such as sit-ups was inefficient to distinguish the effect of compression suits on EEG. Participants perceived a higher pressure due to compression suits; however, the wear comfort of two compression suits was maintained. Two compression suits were rated as supportive and helpful during walking. Various EEG parameters such as the indices of 'Relaxation', 'Concentration' and 'Cognitive load' were effective to observe the effect of 3D compression suits on wearers' brain waves during and after walking.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제19권12호
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• pp.38-44
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• 2002

A walking training robot is proposed to provide stable and comfortable walking supports by reducing body weight load partially and a force control of an arm of walking training robot using sliding mode controller is also proposed. The current gait training apparatus in hospital are ineffective for the difficulty in keeping constant unloading level and for the constraint of patients' free walking. The proposed walking training robot effectively unloads body weight during walking. The walking training robot consists of an unloading manipulator and a mobile platform. The manipulator driven by an electro-mechanical linear mechanism unloads body weight in various levels. The mobile platform is wheel type, which allows patients to walt freely. The developed unloading system has advantages such as low noise level, lightweight, low manufacturing cost and low power consumption. A system model fur the manipulator is established using Lagrange's equation. To unload the weight of the patients, sliding mode control with p-control is adopted. Both control responses with a weight and human walking control responses are analyzed through experimental implementation to demonstrate performance characteristics of the proposed force controller.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.145-150
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• 2005

A new gait detection system using both FSR (force sensing resistor) sensors and a gyrosensor was developed to detect various gait patterns. FSR sensors were put in self-designed shoe insoles and a gyrosensor was attached to the heel of a shoe. An algorithm was also developed to determine eight different gait transitions during four gait phases: heel-strike, foot-flat, heel-off and swing. The developed system was evaluated from nine heathy mans and twelve hemiplegic patients. Healthy volunteers were asked to walk in various gait patterns: level walking, fore-foot walking and stair walking. Only the level walking was performed in hemiplegic patients. The gait detection system was compared with a optical motion analysis system and the outputs of the FSR sensors. In healthy subjects, the developed system detected successfully more than $99\%$ for both level walking and fore-foot walking. For stair walking, the successful detection rate of the system was above$97\%$. In hemiplegic patients, the developed system detected approximately 98% of gait transitions. The developed gait phase detection system will be helpful not only to determine pathological gait phases but also to apply prosthetics, orthotics and functional electrical stimulation for patients with various gait disorders.