• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.631-638
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• 2012

This work proposes a new method to generate velocity profile of a traction motor equipped in a rehabilitation system for knee joint patients through humanoid robot simulation. To this end, a three-dimensional full-body humanoid robot model is newly constructed, and natural human gait is simulated by applying to it reference joint angle trajectories already published. Linear velocity is derived from distance data calculated between the positions of a thigh band and its traction motor at every sampling instance, which is a novel idea of this paper. The projection rule is employed to kinematically describe the humanoid robot because of its high efficiency and accuracy, and measured joint trajectories are used in simulating human natural gait referring to Winter's book. The attained motor velocity profile for a certain position in human body will be applied to our walking-assistance system which is implemented with a treadmill system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.997-998
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• 2010

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2023

In this study, electromyography was obtained in the six muscle areas that move the joints of the two legs, and by analyzing it, an exercise robot system capable of gait rehabilitation was proposed in consideration of the individual's muscle state. Through this, the system was constructed to prevent the effect of exercise from decreasing because the patient's will was not reflected when walking exercise was simply provided automatically. As a result of the evaluation of the developed system, it was confirmed that the pedestrian rehabilitation robot system manufactured through this study had performance suitable for the design requirements, and it was also confirmed that the usability evaluation was comprehensively satisfactory. The results of this study are thought to be of great help to patients who are having difficulty in gait rehabilitation, and are believed to be helpful in the development of electromyography signal-based gait robot systems.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.3658-3665
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• 2010

As the population of elderly people and disabled people are increased, various demands for human welfare using robot system are raised. Especially autonomous rehabilitation system using robot could reduce the human effort while maintaining the its intrinsic efficacy. This study deals with mobile gait rehabilitation system which combined with BWS (Body Weight Support) for training of elderly and handicapped people who suffer the muscle force weakness of lower extremity. BWS which is designed by kinematic analysis of body lifting characteristics and walking guide system are integrated with main control system and wheeled platform. This mobile platform is operated by UCS (User Command System) and autonomous trajectory planning algorithm. Finally, through the EMG (Electromyography) signal measuring and its analysis for subject, performance and feasibility of developed system is verified.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.503-515
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• 2011

We developed a walking-assistance robot for walking rehabilitation and assessed the kinematic characteristics of a prototype. The walking-assistance robot is composed of hip, knee, and ankle joints, and each joint is driven by a motor with a decelerator. The equations of angular displacement while walking were derived by theoretically analyzing human locomotion, and the calculated angular displacements were then applied to the robot controller. The output angular displacement of each joint was measured and compared with its input angular displacement in walking experiments on a treadmill at various walking speeds and strides. The differences between the input and output angular displacements are 5.22% for the hip and 2.97% for the knee joints, and it has been confirmed that the walking-assistance robot works well.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.825-837
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• 2017

This paper describes a novel type of a walking rehabilitation robot that applies robot technologies to crutches used by patients with walking difficulties in the lower body. The primary features of the developed robot are divided into three parts. First, the developed robot is worn on the patient's chest, as opposed to the conventional elbow crutch that is attached to the forearm; hence, it can effectively disperse the patient's weight throughout the width of the chest, and eliminate the concentrated load at the elbow. Furthermore, it allows free arm motion during walking. Second, the developed robot can recognize the walking intention of the patient from the magnitude and direction of the ground reactive forces. This is done using three-axis force sensors attached to the feet of the robot. Third, the robot can perform a stair walking function, which can change vertical movement trajectories in order to step up and down a single stair according to the floor height. Consequently, we experimentally showed that the developed robot can effectively perform walking rehabilitation assistance by perceiving the walking intention of the patient. Moreover we quantitatively verified muscle power assistance by measuring the electromyography (EMG) signals of the muscles of the lower limb.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.879-883
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• 2015

Conventional gait rehabilitation requires at least three therapists in a traditional rehabilitation training program. Several robots have been developed to reduce human burden and increase rehabilitation efficacy. In this study, we present a lower-limb wearable robot (WA-H) for gait rehabilitation of hemiplegia patients, and propose a protocol of 12 weeks gait rehabilitation training program using WA-H. To identify the efficacy of the robot and protocols, we conducted a clinical study with two actual hemiplegia patients and observed a chronological change of ambulation ability through four assessments. We discovered the progression of results by 6 minute walking test, TUGT (Timed Up and Go Test), SPPB (Short Physical Performance Battery), BBS (Berg Balance Test), and Fugl-Meyer score. The torques generated in the normal side and paralyzed side of the patient became similar, indicating rehabilitation. The result also showed the walking of the paralysis patient improved and imbalance motion had considerable improved performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.19 no.12
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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.

• Information and Communications Magazine
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.10-18
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• 2016

재활로봇은 최근 기술적 성장과 임상 수요를 통해 시장을 만들어 가고 있다. 재활로봇은 1990년대 일상생활보조를 바탕으로 연구개발 및 제품화가 진행되었다. 2000년대에 들어서면서 치료현장에서 재활로봇이 적용되기 시작하였다. 척수손상과 같은 마비환자의 보행재활을 시작으로 대상군의 규모가 더 큰 뇌졸중에 재활로봇이 활용되고 있다. 재활로봇은 많은 횟수의 훈련이 가능할 뿐만 아니라 치료 수준을 균일하게 할 수 있다. 최근 기술적 이슈인 (1) 경량화, (2) 재료의 변화, (3) 의도파악, (4) 인간-로봇 상호작용 관점의 피드백에 대해 살펴본다. 추가적 최근 시장에서의 경쟁이 심화하는 하지 외골격 로봇에 대해 현황을 살펴본다. 재활로봇 분야는 절대 강자가 없는 다양성이 강한 시장이다. 재활로봇의 임상진입을 위한 중개연구, 시장 보급을 위한 시범보급이 추진을 바탕으로 진행되고 있다.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.459-466
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• 2016

This study examined the effects of robot-assisted therapy on the motor and functional recovery of the lower limbs in 53 subacute stroke patients. Robot-assisted therapy was performed using Lokomat? (Hocoma AG, Zurich, Switzerland) for thirty minutes per day, five times a week for four weeks. The outcome measures used were the Fugl-Meyer assessment, Motricity index(MI), Functional ambulation category(FAC), Berg balance scale(BBS) for gait function and balance ability, 10m walking test, K-Modified Barthel Index(K-MBI) for the activities of daily living and Mini mental state examination (MMSE), and Beck's depression inventory(BDI) for depression. All patients recruited underwent these evaluations before and after the four week robot-assisted therapy. For the evaluation, the somatosensory evoked potentials were used to assess the functional recovery. Robot-assisted therapy on the lower limb after subacute stroke showed improvement in motor strength, gait function, and the activities of daily living. All changes in terms of MI, FAC, BBS, and K-MBI exhibited a statistically significant difference after the four weeks robot-assisted therapy. The somatosensory evoked potential result showed a correlation with the MI and K-MBI. Robot-assisted therapy is believed to facilitate the motor and functional recovery of the lower limb in subacute stroke patients.