• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.934-939
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• 2011

This paper experimentally deals with the relationship between the ankle electromyogram(EMG) and walking motion in order to activate the ankle joint of a walking-assistance robot for rehabilitation. Based on the anatomical structure and motion pattern of an ankle joint, major muscles were selected for EMG measurements. Surface EMG signals were monitored for several human bodies at various stride distances and stride frequencies. Root-mean-squared magnitude of EMG signals were related with the walking conditions. It appeared that the magnitude of the ankle EMG signal was linearly proportional to the stride distance and stride frequency, and thus to the walking speed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.63-64
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• 2006

In this paper, design modification was performed to improve the structure of ex-developed 12 D.O.F Biped walking robot, KUBIR-1 similar with human beings. The motion of KUBIR-1 was slow and had a limited walking space. Hence I designed an improved BWR named KUBIR-2 with 12 degree of freedom. KUBIR-2 was designed to solve the following problems of KUBIR-1. First, KUBIR-2 was more simply designed in the four-bar-link mechanism, and its weight was reduced. Second, it had the built-in controller and motor driver. Third, walking velocity of KUBIR-2 was increased by improvement of speed and motion joint angle range. In addition to these, we modified the structure of the foot for more stable walking.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1996 no.05
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• pp.339-342
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• 1996

Vertical ground reaction forces on a treadmill were measured at different walking speeds using two tandem force plates. Comparing vertical ground reaction forces in treadmill walking with those in ground free walking, treadmill walking overestimated the first and second peak forces. With the increase of the walking speed, this phenomenon becomes more significant. In treadmill running, the first peak force reached 210-280% of the body weight. However, the instrumented treadmill showed a great potential to investigate the kinetics for multiple foot-strike measurements.

• Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.37-44
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• 2012

There are approximately 25,724 shelters to which people can be quickly evacuated for safety in case of emergency across the nation, and Seoul has about 3,870 shelters. Those nationwide shelters are located at a point within a five-minute radius for quick evacuation. Seoul's shelter capacity can hold 285% of its population. The problem is, however, that there is no knowing how many shelters are reachable within five minutes when considering walking speed according to individual differences in age, height, health state, and physical condition. In addition, available service areas become different according to the spatial allocation and distribution of shelters with possible vulnerable points. This study thus defined the pedestrian walking speed at 1m/s, 1.3m/s, and 2m/s by reviewing previous studies and conducted network analysis of the Location Allocation Model with the designated shelters and road networks in Seoul. The results identified the shelter service and vulnerable areas in each administrative district of Seoul according to walking speeds. It was analyzed that the vulnerable areas in which the elderly could not reach a shelter were more than twice as big as those of adult men and women with a fast walking speed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of arm training in standing position on balance and walking ability in chronic stroke patients. METHODS: Sixteen chronic stroke patients were allocated equally and randomly to an experimental group (n=8) or a control group (n=8). All participants received 60 minutes of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment, the experimental group additionally received an arm training in standing position for 30 minutes, while the control group additionally performed a treadmill training for 30 minutes. These 30-minute training sessions were held three times per week for six weeks. Upper extremity function was assessed using Fugle-Meyer motor assessment function upper extremity (FMA-UE), balance was assessed using Berg balance scale (BBS), and walking ability (gait speed, cadence, step length, and double limb support period) was assessed using the GAITRite system. RESULTS: Improvement on all outcome measures was identified from pre-to-post intervention for both groups (p<.05). Post-intervention, there was a significant between-group difference on BBS, gait speed, cadence, step length, and double limp support period (p<.05). The experimental group exhibited greater improvement in the BBS (p=.01; z=-2.48), gait speed (p=.01; z=-3.26), cadence (p=.02; z=-2.31), step length (p=.01; z=-3.36), and double limb support period (p=.03; z=-2.84) compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that arm training in standing position may be beneficial for improving balance and walking ability of patients with chronic stroke.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of neck pattern of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on balance and walking ability in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Fourteen participants with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to vestibular rehabilitation and then divided into two groups: the neck pattern group or treadmill group. Each group underwent 20 sessions (20 minutes/day, five days/week, for four weeks). Patients were assessed with the Berg balance scale (BBS) and gait parameters (gait speed, cadence, step length, and double-limb support period) using a GAITRite system. Results: Vestibular rehabilitation for the neck pattern group and the treadmill group showed significant intragroup improvement on the BBS and in terms of gait speed, cadence, step length, and double-limb support period (p < 0.05). Vestibular rehabilitation was more effective for the neck pattern group than for the treadmill group in terms of the BBS (p = 0.00; 95% CI, 1.49-5.94), gait speed (p = 0.01; 95% CI, 0.05-0.16), cadence (p = 0.02; 95% CI, 0.54-4.99), and step length (p = 0.00, 95% CI, 1.55-4.62). Conclusion: This study used the neck pattern of PNF for vestibular rehabilitation in patients with chronic stroke. The results showed significant improvement in the patients' balance and walking ability. Therefore, the neck pattern of PNF for vestibular stimulation may be more effective than treadmill training to improve balance and walking ability in patients with chronic stroke.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.137-146
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This study examine the effect of community ambulation training on gait, depression and self - efficacy of stroke patients in order to develop more effective training methods of community rehabilitation. METHODS: In the experimental group, community ambulation training combined with indoor and outdoor walking was performed for 30 minutes three times a week for six weeks. In the control group, general indoor walking training was performed. The physical factors were assessed by a 10-meter walking test, six-minute walking test and community gait test. Psychological factors were assessed by the Korean version of the Epidemiology Center Depression Scale and Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale. RESULTS: In the 10-meter walking test, the normal walking speed was significantly improved after the intervention in both the experimental group and the control group (p<.05). However, the fast walking speed was significantly improved only in the experimental group (p <.05). ln the community gait test, the experimental group showed significant improvement (p<.05), but the control group did not. Depression and self-efficacy were significantly improved in the experimental group (p<.05) but not in the control group. CONCLUSION: Community ambulation training may improve the gait ability of stroke patients and reduce their depression and improve self-efficacy.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of resistant gait training with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on the walking and balancing abilities of chronic stroke patients. Methods: Twelve chronic stroke patients were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 6) that underwent treadmill gait training or an experimental group (n = 6) that underwent resistant gait training using PNF. The interventions were performed five times per week for four weeks. Gait variables were measured using a GAITRite system (CIR System Inc, Clifton, NJ, USA) to examine changes in walking ability; the Berg balance scale (BBS) was used to measure changes in balance; and the activity-specific balance confidence scale (ABC) was measured to examine changes in confidence about balance. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to examine intragroup differences before and after the interventions, and a Mann-Whitney U-test was used for intergroup comparisons of the effects of the interventions. All statistical significance levels were set to ${\alpha}=0.05$. Results: Both the experimental group and the control group showed significant intragroup improvement in walking speed, the number of steps per minute, stride length, double support time, balance, and confidence about balance after the interventions (p < 0.05). In intergroup comparisons after the interventions, the experimental group showed significant improvements over the control group in walking speed, the number of steps per minute, stride length, balance, and confidence about balance (p < 0.05). No significant difference in double support time was seen in the intergroup comparison after training (p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study applied resistant gait training using PNF to chronic stroke patients, and the results showed significant improvements in the patients' walking and balancing abilities. Therefore, resistant gait training using PNF is thought to be applicable as an intervention method for chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of visual and auditory stimulation randomly applied to healthy adults on walking. Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Methods: Twenty-six healthy students in S college were randomly divided into visual feedback group (n=13) and auditory feedback group (n=13). The visual feedback group walked using four conditions. 1) In the red screen was shown, clap twice to the right, 2) In yellow screen, clap twice to the left, 3) In green screen, clap twice over head. 4) Do not clap in purple screen. The auditory feedback group walked using four conditions. 1)in red, clap twice to the right, 2) In yellow, clap twice left, 3) In green, clap twice over your head. 4) Do not clap in purple. All subjects measured gait variables before and after the test using G-walker. Result: The visual feedback group showed a significant decrease (p<.05) in the number of steps per minute, walking speed, and step length compared with that of normal walking. The auditory feedback group showed a significant decrease (p<.05) in the number of steps per minute, walking speed, and step length than that of normal walking. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that visual and auditory stimulation applied to healthy adults may have significant effects on walking.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the peak torques of the knee and ankle joint and local stability of the lower extremity's joints, and muscle activation patterns of the lower extremity's muscles between fallers and non-fallers in the elderly women during walking. Method: Four elderly women (age: $74.5{\pm}5.2yrs.$; height: $152.1{\pm}5.6cm$; mass: $55.3{\pm}5.4kg$; preference walking speed: $1.19{\pm}0.06m/s$) who experienced falls within six months since experiment had been conducted (falls group) and thirty-six subjects ($74.2{\pm}3.09yrs.$; height: $153.6{\pm}4.9cm$; mass: $56.7{\pm}6.4kg$; preference walking speed: $1.24{\pm}0.10m/s$) who had no experience in falls (non-falls group) within this periods participated in this study. They were measured torque peaks of the knee and ankle joint using a Human Norm and while they were walking on a treadmill at their natural pace, kinematic variables and EMG signals were collected with using a 3-D motion capture system and a wireless EMG system, respectively. Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) was determined to observe the dynamic local stability of the lower extremity's joints, and muscles activation and their co-contraction index were also analysed from EMG signals. Hypotheses between falls and non-falls group were tested using paired t-test and Mann-Whitey. Level of significance was set at p<.05. Results: Local dynamic stability in the adduction-abduction movement of the knee joint was significantly lower in falling group than non-falling group (p<.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, muscles which act on the abduction-adduction movement of the knee joint need to be strengthened to prevent from potential falls during walking. However, a small number of samples for fallers make it difficult to generalize the results of this study.