• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.177-185
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• 2014

In this study, the exoskeleton orthosis for the assistance of dorsiflexion torque in ankle joint to prevent foot-drop was developed. It was consist of three part; 1) the power part using artificial pneumatic actuator, 2) wearing part of ankle and knee joints to fix the orthosis, and 3) control part to detect the gait phase using physiological signal. The dorsiflexion torque was generated by the artificial pneumatic actuator connected with wearing part between ankle and knee joint. The accurate timing to assist dorsiflexion torque is made up of physiological signal in foot sole part that detect the gait phase, that is, stance and swing phase in each foot. We conduct the experiment to investigate the effect of exoskeleton orthosis to the 7 elderly people and 10 healthy people. The result showed that the muscular activities in tibialis anterior muscle were reduced because of the assistance of dorsiflexion torque in ankle joint using the exoskeleton orthosis.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.9-14
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• 2012

In this study, an advanced knee joint for active prosthesis leg driven by a linear actuator is suggested. The structure of knee joints of existing active prosthesis legs consists of three links. This kind of linkage requires large torque to drive the active prosthesis legs. Thus a new linkage structure is suggested to solve such problem in this paper. Motion characteristics of the suggested linkage are examined in the simulation. The motion simulation results show that the proposed linkage is able to imitate human gait cycles with the half of linear actuator speed in existing linkages.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2009

Pes planus is a condition where the arch of the foot collapses and comes in contact with the ground. The purpose of study was to confirm the effect of a patient-customized insole on both feet velocity of pes planus with and without the insole, in order to establish both feet velocity as a rehabilitation evaluation factor of pes planus in future. As a result, the average velocity shifts of both feet showed that left foot is 2.96%, right foot is 1.09% via gait experiment with 13 pes planus patients with and without insole. Therefore this study verified that the patient-customized insole effects on both feet velocity of pes planus. However further study needs to demonstrate both feet velocity as a rehabilitation evaluation factor in pes planus.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.35-44
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• 2020

Background: This study was to confirm the effect and feasibility of knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO) on balance and gait in subacute stroke patients. Design: Case study. Methods: The subjects of the study were 4 subacute stroke patients, who had an onset period of less than 6 months. The limit of stability (LOS) and berg balance scale (BBS), timed up and go test (TUG) were used to verify the dynamic balance ability, static balance ability, and gait ability pre and post and after wearing the knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO). In addition, the satisfaction survey was to confirm the feasibility of the knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO) through the to Korean quebec user evaluation of satisfaction assistive technology 2.0 (K-QUEST 2.0). Results: After the wearing on KEAO, the distance for the limit of stability decreased by mean 541.25±240.46 mm2, and the score on the berg balance scale improved by mean 5±2.71 point, and the time for the timed up and go test deceased by mean 3.75±1.71 second. The stability and durability were found to be full score, and the control, ease, effectiveness were some high score, and the size, weight, comfort were some low score in the satisfaction and feasibility. Conclusion: The knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO) produce in this study was improved the static balance ability, dynamic balance ability and gait ability of subacute stroke patients, and the satisfaction and feasibility were high in the stability, durability and effectiveness of the user.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6040-6045
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• 2012

In this study, by utilizing the information fusion of multi sensor data and time within the crosswalk safety Assistive gait secondary to the safety of pedestrians on the system design and system performance verification through support to. Environmental awareness, and time information in addition to leveraging the default behavior for pedestrian safety design of the secondary system performed a study on the scenario and the behavior of a system for fuzzy control was performed for each sensor data processing, median filtering, including filters processing leveraging, and was attached by the time we complete the final algorithm, the system behavior. In addition, taking advantage of the sensor measurements, so basically uncertainties and sensor results, and you want to give at least the reliability of the data fusion experiment equipment using this simple verification.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.115-124
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• 2017

This study was to develop the balance insole system for detecting and improving the muscle imbalance of left and right side in lower limbs. We were to verify the validation of balance insole system by analyzing the strategy of muscular activities and foot pressure according to sound feedback. We developed the balance insole based FSR sensor modules for estimating the muscle imbalance using detecting foot pressure. The insole system was FPCB have 8-spot FSR sensor with sensitivity range of 64-level. The participants were twenty peoples who have muscle strength differences in left and right legs over 20%. We measured the muscular activity and foot pressure of left and right side of lower limbs in various gait environment for verifying the improvement effect of muscle imbalance according to sound feedback. They performed gait in slope at 0, 5, 10, 15% and velocity at 3, 4, 5km/h. The result showed that the level of muscle imbalance reduced within 30% for sound feedback of balance insole system contrast to high level of muscle imbalance at 169.9~246.8% during normal gait for increasing slope and velocity. This study found the validation of balance insole system with sound feedback stimulus. Also, we thought that it is necessary to research on the sensitivity of foot area, detection of muscle imbalance and processing algorithm of correction threshold spot.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.496-504
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• 2023

This paper recognizes the motion intention of the wearer using a muscle stiffness sensor and proposes a control system for a wearable robot based on this. The proposed system recognizes the onset time of the motion using sensor data, determines the assistance mode, and provides assistive torque to the hip flexion/extension motion of the wearer through the generated reference trajectory according to the determined mode. The onset time of motion was detected using the CUSUM algorithm from the muscle stiffness sensor, and by comparing the detection results of the onset time with the EMG sensor and IMU, it verified its applicability as an input device for recognizing the intention of the wearer before motion. In addition, the stability of the proposed method was confirmed by comparing the results detected according to the walking speed of two subjects (1 male and 1 female). Based on these results, the assistance mode (gait assistance mode and muscle strengthening mode) was determined based on the detection results of onset time, and a reference trajectory was generated through cubic spline interpolation according to the determined assistance mode. And, the practicality of the proposed system was also confirmed by applying it to an actual wearable robot.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2012

Purpose: This study is to identify the effect of Ankle Joint Taping applied to patients with chronic hemiplegia on their gait velocity and joint angles. Methods: We randomly extracted a clinical sample from 30 patients with hemiplegia resulting from stroke and classified them into two groups of a control group including 15 patients offered a regular therapeutic exercise and a test group including 15 patients offered taping. We also conducted the comparative analysis and pretest of the affected ankle joint angles by the normal characteristics of all subjects, Time to up and go test (TUG), 3D movement analyzer before the intervention. We applied taping to a test group for eight hours a day, five days a week during two weeks and conducted the comparative analysis of the gait velocity and the affected ankle joint angles by a comparison between and within two groups of before and after the intervention by conducting a posttest after the intervention. The result is as followings. Results: It indicated that there was a significantly decreased time with the increased gait velocity that a test according to a result of comparing the gait velocity within two groups (p<0.05). It indicated that there was a significantly increased angle in a comparison within two groups of test that inversion angle of a control group according to a result of comparing the ankle joint angles by 3D movement analyzer within groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: We found that TUG will help patients walk independently because it met a test group's need in the change of the gait velocity between two groups by recording less than 14 seconds which is the standard of using assistive aids and also found that ankle joint taping will help the joints prevent their function change considering that a control group showed an increased inversion angle in the change of the ankle joint within two groups.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.738-742
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of FES and ankle mobilization on the ankle motion and the quality of gait of chronic hemiplegic patients with limited ankle joint motions. As research subjects, 24 chronic hemiplegic patients who could walk independently, regardless of assistive aids, were selected. Then, 8 subjects received mobilization randomly and 8 subjects received FES and 8 subjects received mobilization and FES, at the same time. The dorsiflexion PROM significantly increased in the group of mobilization therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.01). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.01). The 10m walking test significantly decreased in the group of mobilization therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.05). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.01). The gait velocity significantly increased in the group of mobilization therapy, FES therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.05). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.01). The stride length significantly increased in the group of mobilization therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.05). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.05). In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that rather than only using one treatment technique, applying mobilization and FES together brings a more satisfactory result to hemiplegic patients with limited ankle joint motions.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.15-22
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• 2012

The mechanical system of wearable walking assist robot needs to be optimized for adapting with human body structure and the planned control algorithm should have a secure procedure when a incongruity situation which can cause musculoskeletal injury occurs because a wearable robot is attached to a body. The understanding of walking or musculoskeletal motions characteristics must be preceeded and analyzed for developing novel wearable walking assist robot. In this study we tried to find out the capacities of powers and torques of joint actuators to design optimized performances of system and to obtain the analysis data to figure out the characteristics of joint movements during some types of walk. The major types of walk and motion are stair climbing and descending, sit-to-stand motion, and slope walking. In this study all these motions were analyzed experimentally except slope walking.