• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.161-167
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of regular training on the uneven surface that stroke patients encounter in their daily life on their ankle joint muscle activity and balance ability. They were divided into two groups: the gait training group on uneven surfaces and the gait training group on normal surfaces. Methods: In this study, 30 patients diagnosed with stroke and undergoing rehabilitation were selected. 15 people in the uneven surface gait training group and 15 people in the flat gait training group were selected. The muscle activation of the ankle muscles was measured when walking again on a even surface after walking on an uneven surface and on a flat ground. After each gait training, the limit of stability and Romberg test were performed to evaluate the balance ability. Results: As a result of the experimental results before and after walking by group, the tibialis anterior muscle activity of the paralyzed side was significantly decreased in the uneven surface walking group. As a result of measuring balance ability after training, the limit of stability in all directions was significantly increased in the uneven surface gait training group, and the area and length moved significantly decreased in the uneven surface gait training group in the Romberg test as well (p<0.05). Conclusion: After walking on uneven surface, it was confirmed that the muscle activity of the ankle joint decreased in normal flat walking, and thus the efficiency of muscle activity was increased. In addition, it was possible to confirm the improvement of the balance ability of the gait training on the uneven surface, and in conclusion, it could be confirmed that it had an effect on the improvement of the walking ability.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1987.10a
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• pp.797-800
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• 1987

We developed a biofeedback gait training system; a 12 m measuring walkway with a training walker which moves at prescribed velocity. The walkway measures a.11 temporal and distance factors of gait. This system provides visual feedback for distance factors and auditory one for temporal at the prescribed walking velocity. Experiments were performed on normal and degenerative knee joint subjects, and this system was verified to be very useful.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2011

This paper aims to find the optimal control gain for enhancing the convenience of electric walking frames and design a control algorithm. With the recent advances in medical technology, there has been a rapid increase in the aging population and a variety of mobile walking frames have been developed for improvement of the quality of life. However, the manual walking frames of such mobile aids don't have any electric motor which helps facilitate elderly users' walking and thus are not efficient enough for the old people of weak strength to use especially when moving on uneven surfaces such as slopes or thresholds. The types of electric walking frames have been developed to overcome such inefficiency. Electric walking frames require users' control operations for motor driving unlike manual frames. Therefore, when they are not properly handled, it causes considerable inconvenience to their users. The present study compared the electric walking frames with manual ones in terms of operational convenience and attempted to improve the user convenience of walking frames varying the control value for user convenience based on certain standards. This paper presented a haptic sensor designed to recognize the will to walk and measure the degree of convenience and proposed a control algorithm for improvement of convenience. For user convenience, this paper evaluated the relative convenience of walking frames in view of changing differences between the center of vehicle (COV) and the center of position (COP). With the employment of an electric walking frame and a new measuring method, all the processes were experimentally tested and validated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.120-126
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• 2011

Under the current law or system, the range of traffic accident on the crosswalk does not reflect the characteristics of traffic accident and the pedestrian's walking pattern. Thus, this study conducted a video recording survey on the 250 spots which are high to traffic accident rate of pedestrian-vehicle to reset the range of traffic accident on or near the crosswalk considering the characteristics of traffic accident and the pedestrian's walking pattern. Based on the collected data through a video recording survey, this study analyzed the pattern of pedestrians and extracted the variables influenced in the pedestrian's walking pattern. After conducting the regression analysis, this study made the model of measuring the range of traffic accident on the crosswalk. Through all processes these, this study reset the range of traffic accident on the crosswalk which could minimize the disadvantages of pedestrian when they have an accident on the crosswalk and ensure the right of way of pedestrian.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.42-56
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• 1996

The citizens seek to maximize convenience, pleasantness and safety when they use urban facilities. However, existing practices of urban neighborhood parks have applied not qualitative standards such as adequacy, efficiency, accessibility, equity, or socioeconomic issues but very limited quantitative standards such as area per person. Therefore it is not rare that citizens have lost their accessibility to near-by neighborhood parks. And park regulations based on the distance of lien are supposed to be uniformally accomplished regardless of the consideration about users or geographical special situations. Futhermore, it has been found that some urban neighborhood parks don't reach to the standards given by the regulations. This study tries to accomplished several purposes. The first purpose is to extract the boundary of real user-accessible zones derived from the city survey. Comparing with boundary of real user-accessible zones, the second one is to propose the most efficient measurement indices among many accessibility measurement index. Based upon the above arguments, the last one is to review the propriety of the access distances(e.g., semidiameter) of an urban neighborhood park in a law. The measurement indices of accessibility examined in this study are walking distance, walking time and walking difficulty. The comparison of visual discrimination, the comparison of area and the comparison of differences of maximum distance showed similar results. Each index can also be compared in the size of area and differences of maximum distance. Walking difficulty with the turning showed the best measurement values among the measurement indices. This indicates that walking difficulty with crossing and/or turning may be another important indices in measuring accessibility, while other existing studues have mainly dealt with walking time and distance as accessibility indices. The results of this study also supported that the existing regulations related to park allocation(e.g., access diameter) are close to the findings of this study.

• 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 International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.2221-2228
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• 2020

Background: Shoes cover the feet and ankle joints and come into contact with the ground directly during walking, and the shape of shoes is related to the muscle tone of the lower extremity muscles. However, no study has been conducted on the muscle tone of the lower extremity after wearing combat boots. Objectives: To compare and analyze the effects of walking in combat boots and in athletic shoes on muscle tone and stiffness, to identifying the effect of the characteristics of shoes on the muscle tone. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Thirty subjects were randomly divided into a combat boots group and an athletic shoes group, and interventions were implemented. Both groups walked for 30 minutes on a treadmill at 4.2 km/h. MyotonPRO was used to measure the muscle tone and stiffness of the lower extremity. The measuring sites were set to five muscles on both legs. Results: In the combat boots group, muscle tone and stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius on the dominant side, the muscle tone and stiffness of rectus femoris, and the muscle stiffness of hamstring on the non-dominant side significantly decreased after walking. In the athletic shoes group, there was no significant change in the muscle tone and stiffness. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used to inform the wearing combat boots while walking on a treadmill reduces the muscle tone and stiffness of the lower extremity compared to athletic shoes. It indicates that the restriction of joint movement occurring when wearing combat boots influences reducing muscle tone and stiffness.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.2107-2112
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• 2020

Background: With the increasing elderly population, the need for gait analysis of these elderly individuals is also increasing. Most devices are costly and not portable; however, smartphones using built-in sensors capable of measuring motion and are easily available. Objectives: To examine the reliability and validity of knee joint angles of the elderly using smartphone measurements during walking. Design: Quasi-experimental research. Methods: Sixteen elderly people, aged 65+ and living in Daejeon and Chungbuk, South Korea, participated in the study. Electrogoniometers and smartphones were attached to the thigh and the side and front of the shank of each subject, respectively, using double-sided tape, an arm band, and an elastic band. Each subject completed two sets of at least seven gait cycles (14 steps). Results: Both the smartphones and electrogoniometers exhibited high agreement in terms of their primary and secondary measurements (ICC>.75). The agreement between the smartphones and electrogoniometers was also high in terms of both the primary and secondary measurements (ICC<.60). Conclusion: These results indicate that smartphones can be costly equipment cannot, even though they cannot completely replace existing clinical-grade devices. Their utility is emphasized herein for measuring knee joint angles of the elderly during walking.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2012

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of a gait training using PNF on a gait and balance ability of a person with chronic stroke. Methods : The subject was left hemiplegia due to cerebral infarction. The subject participated in PNF gait training session as well as baseline for 30 minutes a day for 4 weeks. we used the 10-meter walking test(10MWT), figure-8-of walk test(F8WT), dynamic gait index(DGI) for measuring the gait ability and four square step test(FSST), Berg balance scale(BBS) for measuring the balance ability through the whole sessions. Results : The gait ability was enhanced compared to first baseline, as measured by 10MWT(27.3%), F8WT(36.6%), DGI(8 points increased). The balance ability was improved compared to first baseline, as measured by FSST(49.1%), BBS(10 points increased). The increase was maintained in second baseline session. Conclusion : The PNF gait training program is helpful to enhance the adaptation of the gait and balance according to the various environmental demands.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.348-356
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• 2015

In 2026, in ten years from now, Korea is expected to enter into a super aged society. By facing this social phenomenon, analyzing the elderlies and preparing measures are needed among society. In the transportation field, the traffic accidents which are related to the elderly pedestrians have drastically increased so that R&D projects and policy supplementations are introduced. However very few base studies on which focused on the behavior, capability, impact factors analysis of for elderly pedestrians are conducted. To determine the walking capability, this study divided the walking capability into 3 three categories - general, health and exercise. It carries out the comprehensive survey targeting 52 elderlies with the average age of 72.6 years and this survey is made up of total 12 factors in the 3 three categories. This survey also is conducted with various measuring devices and methods such as interview, National Fitness Award, SPBB, Cybex and the like for. From the 12 detailed factors, the general factors such as age, physical shape and so forth have little impact on the walking speed. However the factors that have the greatest impact on the walking speed are extensor muscle on lower limbs in the health factors and balance, coordination, and SPPB in the exercise factors. With these results, this study develops the independent walking model which can measure the walking capability of the elderly people. The developed model is expected to be utilized as the base study for elderly's walking patterns in the transportation field by examining the walking capability of the older people.