• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.1037-1040
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• 2016

This study aims to investigate the effects of ankle foot orthosis(AFO) on the activities of tibialis anterior(TA), soleus(Sol), rectus femoris(RF) and biceps femoris(BF) during stairs descending. The activities of TA, Sol, RF and BF were initially measured while descending 4 stairs without using AFO. The activities of the same muscles were then measured again while descending 4 stairs while using AFO. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to analyze the results in order to examine the differences between the with using AFO and without using AFO. Although the activities of TA, Sol and RF were relatively lower while using AFO than without using AFO, only the differences in Sol and RF activities were significant(p<0.05). The activity of BF was relatively higher while using AFO compared to the activity of BF observed without using AFO. However, difference was not significant(p>0.05). Conclusion of this study was observed since AFO's ground reaction force absorption during stairs descending reduced the need to use So and RF that is related to shock absorption. BF activity was increased with AFO than without during standing forward to correct the trunk stability.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2021

Objective: To control the rate at which body weight drops, forefoot initiates floor contact with the limb relatively extended at each joint. However, when the knee joints could not extend enough with going down the stairs, the forefoot cannot be contact initially. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between forefoot and whole foot in initial contract on soleus and tibialis anterior for health young adults when descending stairs. Design: A cross-sectional observational study design. Methods: Fifteen healthy young adults participated in this study. To compare between forefoot and whole foot in initial contact when going down the stairs, this study measured muscle activation on soleus and tibialis anterior. This study used the paired t-test to analyze the collected data and compare the supporting conditions. Results: After analyzing, the muscle activation of soleus was not statistically significant difference as 25.16% at forefoot initial contact and 24.37% at whole foot initial contact when descending stairs (p>0.05). However, the muscle activation of tibialis anterior muscle was significantly difference was 49.19% at forefoot contact and 71.55% at whole foot contact. Conclusions: The results of this study was that the muscle activation of the tibialis anterior was a higher at whole foot contact than that at fore foot contact when descending stairs. This study suggests that the landing strategy of the initial contact is a beneficial effect at the forefoot contact to maintain the postural balance and the muscle performance effectively when descending stairs in individuals with healthy young adults.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.241-248
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• 2015

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the theta on the components of ground reaction force according to the ground conditions during gait. Method : Six healthy women(mean age: 22 yrs, mean height: $166.14{\pm}2.51cm$, mean body weights: $56.61{\pm}4.58kg$) participated in this study. The medial-lateral GRF(Fx 1), anterior-posterior GRF(Fy 1, Fy 2), vertical GRF(Fz 1, Fz 2, Fz 3), and impact loading rate were determined from time function and frequency domain. Also, GRF theta were time function and forces. Results : Fx 1, Fy 1 and Fy 2 of stair descending showed significant statistically higher forces than that of level walking, and ascending. Fz 1 of stairs descending showed significant statistically higher forces than that of level walking and stairs ascending(theta $88.62^{\circ}$). Also, Fz 2 of level walking showed significant statistically higher forces than that of stairs ascending and descending(theta $65.78^{\circ}$). Fz 3 of stairs ascending showed significant statistically higher forces than that of level walking and stairs descending($65.26^{\circ}$). Impact loading rate of stairs descending showed significant statistically higher forces than that of level and ascending walking. The GRF showed similar correlation with GRF theta(r=.603) according to the ground conditions during gait. Conclusion : These results suggest that the GRF theta can be used in conjunction with a gait characteristics, prediction of loading rate and dynamic stability.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2015

Powered prosthesis is used to assist walking of people with an amputated lower limb and/or weak leg strength. The accurate gait phase classification is indispensable in smooth movement control of the powered prosthesis. In previous gait phase classification using physical sensors, there is limitation that powered prosthesis should be simulated as same as the speed of training process. Therefore, we propose EMG signal based gait phase recognition method to classify stairs ascending and stairs descending into four steps without using physical sensors, respectively. RMS, VAR, MAV, SSC, ZC, WAMP features are extracted from EMG signal data and LDA(Linear Discriminant Analysis) classifier is used. In the training process, the AHRS sensor produces various ranges of walking steps according to the change of knee angles. The experimental results show that the average accuracies of the proposed method are about 85.6% in stairs ascending and 69.5% in stairs descending whereas those of preliminary studies are about 58.5% in stairs ascending and 35.3% in stairs descending. In addition, we can analyze the average recognition ratio of each gait step with respect to the individual muscle.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.181-187
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare & analyze on the variations of ground reaction force during ascending and descending of bus stair. Method: Simulated wooden stair of bus (raiser: 37.66 cm, width: 109 cm, tread: 29 cm) and GRF system (AMTI-OR-7/ AMTI., USA) was set up within experimental room. Adult female (n=8) performed ascending & descending of simulated bus stair, and variables analyzed consisted of TT (transfer-time), PVF (peak vertical force), LR (loading rate), DR (decay rate), CV (coefficient of variation) and AI (asymmetry index). Sample data from GRF cut off at 1,000 Hz. Results: TT showed shortest variation at phase 1 during descending, but longest variation at phase 1 during ascending of stair. PVF19 (Fz2, 100%) showed large pattern during descending than that of ascending, but rather showed small pattern during ascending of stair in case of PVF2 (Fz4). LR showed larger pattern during descending than that of ascending, but rather during ascending of stair in case of DR. Variation of CV (%) did not show difference between LR and DR, but showed higher possible occurrence of variation during descending of stair. Also AI (%) showed higher index during ascending than that of descending of stair. Conclusion: Because introduction of lowered bus stair has various realistic problems, if lined up at designated bus stopage exactly, rather can solve problems of inconvenience, reduce impulsive force and secure a stability of COG during ascending & descending of stair.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.11
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• pp.385-391
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the lower-extremity muscle activation of flat-footed and normal-footed subjects descending stairs while wearing high-heels, thereby identifying any imbalance between the medial and lateral muscles.Thirty female students volunteered to participate in this study. The navicular drop test (NDT) was applied to the selection criteria for the flat-footed group and the normal-footed group. Surface electromyographic data was collected from the medial and lateral quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius. Activation of MG and LG was significantly lower in the flat-footed group than in the normal-footed group. Both groups showed significant increases in MQMH and MHMG, but the co-activation in the medial and lateral muscles was lower in the flat-footed group. The co-activation ratios showed a significantly greater MQMH/LQLH in the flat-footed group. Flat-footed subjects who wear high-heels are more likely to experience impaired knee joint alignment than normal-footed subjects. Therefore, flat-footed subjects should use caution when descending stairs while wearing high-heels.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2015

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence on the ground reaction force parameters according to wearing positions of backpack for during stair ascending and descending. Methods : Participants selected as subject were consisted of young female(n=10) and performed stairs walks(ascending and descending) with 2 types of wearing position(front of trunk[FT], rear of trunk[RT]). Passive(Fz 1) and active(Fz 2) forces of the vertical GRF were determined from time function and frequency domain. Also shear forces(Fx, Fy 1, Fy 2), dynamic postural stability index(MLSI, APSI, VSI, DPSI), loading rate and center of pressure (${\Delta}COPx$, ${\Delta}COPy$, COP area) were calculated from time function and frequency domain. Results : Fx, Fy 1, Fy 2, and Fz 1 in GRF didn't show significant differences statistically according to the wearing positions of backpack(p>.05), but stair descending showed higher forces than that of stair ascending. Particularly, Fz 2 of stair ascending showed higher forces than that of stair descending(p<.001), RT types showed higher than that of FT types(p<.05). MLSI, APSI, VSI, and DPSI of stair descending showed the increased stability index than that of stair ascending(p<.05), MLSI of RT types showed the decreased stability index than that of FT types(p<.05). Loading rate didn't show significant differences statistically according to the wearing positions of backpack(p>.05), but stair descending showed higher loading rate than that of stair ascending(p<.001). Also, ${\Delta}COPx$ in stair descending showed the increased movement than that of stair ascending(p<.05). Conclusions : A backpack of 10 kg(10 kg(ratio of body weights $17.61{\pm}1.17%$) showed significantly change GRF parameters according to wearing positions during stair ascending and descending. If possible, we suggest that the dynamic stability, in case of stairs walking with a smaller weights can be further improved.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2011

This study identifies methods to design patterns for jeans that are suitable for women in their twenties. Five patterns suggested by previous researchers were used to draw the same size of jeans (waist 67 and hip 91). The author compared and analyzed the measurements and shapes of the patterns, ranging from waist to crotch. Samples were produced based on these patterns and then tests were conducted to observe the dynamic functions and exteriors of the samples. The dynamic functions observed in this study include walking, ascending stairs, descending stairs and sitting on chairs. The results of the current study are as follow. The best evaluated pattern in terms of exteriors is the one where the hips and thighs are tightest compared to other patterns and where the back part is wider than the front part. This pattern also received high evaluations in dynamic functions due to comfort when walking. Regarding ascending or descending stairs, the tests found that all its parts (except the front crotch) are more comfortable than those of any other patterns. All these results show that a comfortable fit and easy movement is possible when the crotch width of the back is broader than the hip width so that the hips are comfortably supported.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.4 s.181
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• pp.75-82
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• 2006

In this paper, we propose an optimal trajectory for biped robots to move up-and-down stairs using a genetic algorithm and a computed-torque control for biped robots to be dynamically stable. First, a Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm (RCGA) which of operators are composed of reproduction, crossover and mutation is used to minimize the total energy. Constraints are divided into equalities and inequalities: Equality constraints consist of a position condition at the start and end of a step period and repeatability conditions related to each joint angle and angular velocity. Inequality constraints include collision avoidance conditions of a swing leg at the face and edge of a stair, knee joint conditions with respect to the avoidance of the kinematic singularity, and the zero moment point condition with respect to the stability into the going direction. In order to approximate a gait, each joint angle trajectory is defined as a 4-th order polynomial of which coefficients are chromosomes. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal trajectory is shown in computer simulations with a 6-dof biped robot that consists of seven links in the sagittal plane. The trajectory is more efficient than that generated by the modified GCIPM. And various trajectories generated by the proposed GA method are analyzed in a viewpoint of the consumption energy: walking on even ground, ascending stairs, and descending stairs.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.612-620
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• 2006

This paper proposes an optimal trajectory generation method for biped robots for walking up-and-down stairs using a Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm (RCGA). The RCGA is most effective in minimizing the total consumption energy of a multi-dof biped robot. Each joint angle trajectory is defined as a 4-th order polynomial of which the coefficients are chromosomes or design variables to approximate the walking gait. Constraints are divided into equalities and inequalities. First, equality constraints consist of initial conditions and repeatability conditions with respect to each joint angle and angular velocity at the start and end of a stride period. Next, inequality constraints include collision prevention conditions of a swing leg, singular prevention conditions, and stability conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal trajectory is shown in computer simulations with a 6-dof biped robot model that consists of seven links in the sagittal plane. The optimal trajectory is more efficient than that generated by the Modified Gravity-Compensated Inverted Pendulum Mode (MGCIPM). And various trajectories generated by the proposed GA method are analyzed from the viewpoint of the consumption energy: walking on even ground, ascending stairs, and descending stairs.