• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2004년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.1137-1142
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• 2004

Walking training is one of the most important rehabilitation processes with paralysis patient. Walking training by using an orthosis can help advancing a patient's independent level. However, existing orthoses have some serious demerit of mechanical problem that the knee joint is locked in the state where it is completely extended, which increases energy consumption and fatigue. For this reason, it is suggested, for more practical orthosis, that the knee joint should be placed and it should have capability of suspending patient's weight. In this paper, 1-DOF walking orthosis which compensates the demerit of the existing orthosis and secures patient's mobility has been proposed. New orthosis has been designed under the following two premises. First, the knee joint of the orthosis was designed fold in order for the orthosis to move in a walking pattern similar to that of a normal person. Second, the knee joint was designed to extend during the swing phase and lock safely during the stance phase.

• 대한물리치료과학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.81-88
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• 2002

This paper presents a design and a control of a New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis and dynamic walking simulation for this system. The New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis is distinguished from other one by which has a very light-weight and a new RGO type with servo motors. The gait of a New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis depends on the constrains of mechanical kinematics and initial posture. The stability of dynamic walking is investigated by ZMP(Zero Moment Point) of the New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis. It is designed according to a human wear type and is able to accomodate itself to human environments. The joints of each leg are adopted with a good kinematic characteristics. To test of the analysis of joint kinematic properties, we did the strain stress analysis of dynamic PLS and the study of FEM with a dynamic PLS. It will be expect that the spinal card injury patients are able to train effectively with a Reciprocating Gait Orthosis. The New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis was able to keep smooth walling by the orthotic servo motors and hybrid system, make a sequence of flexion and extension of the joint during the walking. Also, the New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis turned out to be a satisfactory orthosis for walling training, for the spinal cord injury patient.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2003년도 춘계학술대회논문집
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• pp.882-887
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• 2003

This paper presented a design and control of a new RGO(reciprocating gait orthosis)and its simulation. The new RGO was distinguished from the other one by which had a very light-weight and a new RGO(reciprocating gait orthosis) system. The vibration evaluation of the hip joint system on the new RGO(reciprocating gait orthosis)was used to access by the 3-axis accelerometer with a low frequency vibration of less than 30 ㎐. The gait of the new RGO depended on the constrains of mechanical kinematics and the initial posture. The stability of dynamic walking was investigated by analyzing the ZMP (zero moment point) of the new RGO. It was designed according to the human wear type and was able to accomodate itself to the environments of S.C.I. Patients. The joints of each leg were adopted with a good kinematic characteristics. To analyse joint kinematic properties, we made the hip joint system of FEM and the hip joint system by 1-axis and 3-axis Accelerometers.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.291-296
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• 2011

This study was designed to investigate the effects of an ankle foot orthosis(AFO) with variable ankle joint angles on balance performance in healthy adults. Eighteen healthy adults were recruited in this repeated measures design with subjects as their own controls. An AFO with four kinds of ankle joint angles(-5, 0, 5, and 10 degree) were used and balance performance was measured during single limb standing. Three trials were obtained and then averaged for data analysis. Foot pressure was measured using an F-scan system and muscle activity was measured using an MP150 system. There were significant differences in balance performance with ankle joint angles. An AFO with -5 degrees was associated with significant increases in postural sway(anterior-posterior), and in muscle activity for the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior compared with other degrees of angle. Findings of this study show that angles of an AFO are related to balance performance and a joint angle of 10 degree is effective for promoting joint stability and postural control. This information can be used by clinicians to prescribe AFOs.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2002년도 추계학술대회논문초록집
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• pp.347.2-347
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• 2002

This paper presented a design and a Vibration control of a biped walking RGO(Robotic Gait Orthosis) and walking simulation by this system. The vibration evaluation of the Knee Joint Mechanism on the biped walking RGO(Robotic Galt Orthosis) was used to access by the 3-axis accelerometer with a low frequency vibration for the spinal cord injuries. It will be expect that the spinal cord injury patients are able to recover effectively by a biped walking RGO. (omitted)

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2002년도 추계학술대회논문집
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• pp.446-452
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• 2002

This paper Presents a 3-D design and a Vibration control of a new walking R.G.O.(Robotic Gait Orthosis) and would like to develop a simulation by this walking system. The vibration control and evaluation of the new knee joint mechanism on the biped walking R.G.O.(Robotic Gait Orthosis) was a very unique system and was to obtain by the 3-axis accelerometer with a low frequency vibration for the paraplegia It will be expect that the spinal cord injury patients are able to recover effectively by a biped walking R.G.O.. The new knee joint system of both legs were adopted with a good kinematic characteristics. It was designed attached a DC-srevo motor and controller, with a human wear type. It was able to accomodate itself to a environments of S.C.I. Patients. It will be expect that the spinal cord injury patients are able to recover effectively by a new walking R.G.O. system.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제16권10호
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• pp.948-956
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a prototype KAFO (Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis) powered by two artificial pneumatic muscles during walking. We had previously built powered AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthosis) and KO (Knee Orthosis) and used it effectively in studies on assistance of plantaflexion and knee extension motion. Extending the previous study to a KAFO presented additional challenges related to the assistance of gait motion for rehabilitation training. Five healthy males were performed gait motion on treadmill wearing KAFO equipped with artificial pneumatic muscles to power ankle plantaflexion and knee extension. Subjects walked on treadmill at 1.5 km/h under four conditions without extensive practice: 1) without wearing KAFO, 2) wearing KAFO with artificial muscles turned off, 3) wearing KAFO powered only in plantaflexion under feedforward control, and 4) wearing KAFO powered both in plantaflexion and knee extension under feedforward control. We collected surface electromyography, foot pressure and kinematics of ankle and knee joint. The experimental result showed that a muscular strength of wearing KAFO powered plnatarfexion and knee extension under feedforward control was measured to be lower due to pneumatic assistance and foot pressure of wearing KAFO powered plnatarfexion and knee extension under feedforward control was measured to be greater due to power assistance. In the result of motion analysis, the ankle angle of powered KAFO in terminal stance phase was found a peak value toward plantaflexion and there were difference of maximum knee flexion range among condition 2, 3 and 4 in mid-swing phase. The current orthosis design provided plantaflexion torque of ankle jonit in terminal stance phase and knee extension torque of knee joint in mid-swing phase.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제17권10호
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• pp.1021-1028
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• 2011

The objective of this paper is to optimize the design parameters of a novel mechanism for a robotic knee orthosis. The feature of the proposed knee othosis is to drive a knee joint with independent actuation during swing and stance phases, which can allow an actuator with fast rotation to control swing motions and an actuator with high torque to control stance motions, respectively. The quadriceps device operates in five-bar links with 2-DOF motions during swing phase and is changed to six-bar links during stance phase by the contact motion to the patella device. The hamstring device operates in a slider-crank mechanism for entire gait cycle. The suggested kinematic model will allow a robotic knee orthosis to use compact and light actuators with full support during walking. However, the proposed orthosis must use additional linkages than a simple four-bar mechanism. To maximize the benefit of reducing the actuators power by using the developed kinematic design, it is necessary to minimize total weight of the device, while keeping necessary actuator performances of torques and angular velocities for support. In this paper, we use a SGA (Simple Genetic Algorithm) to minimize sum of total link lengths and motor power by reducing the weight of the novel knee orthosis. To find feasible parameters, kinematic constraints of the hamstring and quadriceps mechanisms have been applied to the algorithm. The proposed optimization scheme could reduce sum of total link lengths to half of the initial value. The proposed optimization scheme can be applied to reduce total weight of general multi-linkages while keeping necessary actuator specifications.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제17권8호
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• pp.814-823
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• 2011

Nowadays many neurological diseases such as stroke and Parkinson diseases are continually increasing. Orthotic devices as well as exoskeletons have been widely developed for supporting movement assistance and therapy of patients. Robotic knee orthosis can compensate stiff-knee gait of the paralyzed limb and can provide patients consistent assistance at wearable environments. With keeping a robotic orthosis wearable, however, it is not easy to develop a compact and safe actuator with fast rotation and high torque for consistent supports of patients during walking. In this paper, we propose a novel kinematic model for a robotic knee orthosis to drive a knee joint with independent actuation during swing and stance phases, which can allow an actuator with fast rotation to control swing motions and an actuator with high torque to control stance motions, respectively. The suggested kinematic model is composed of a hamstring device with a slide-crank mechanism, a quadriceps device with five-bar/six-bar links, and a patella device for knee covering. The quadriceps device operates in five-bar links with 2-dof motions during swing phase and is changed to six-bar links during stance phase by the contact motion to the patella device. The hamstring device operates in a slider-crank mechanism for entire gait cycle. The kinematics and velocity/force relations are analyzed for the quadriceps and hamstring devices. Finally, the adequate actuators for the suggested kinematic model are designed based on normal gait requirements. The suggested kinematic model will allow a robotic knee orthosis to use compact and light actuators with full support during walking.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.7-14
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• 2002

In this study, a stress analysis is made fur an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) in the view point of structural stability. The investigated AFO is a solid and standard type. To analyze the stress distribution on the neck of AFO, the maximum AFO angular translation data is obtained by gait analysis. The material test of polypropylene is made to obtain the mechanical properties of AFO. The maximum dorsiflexion appears at the midstance in the gait analysis. The experimental angular translation at the top of AFO is about 10.3$^{\circ}$ at mid stance. Three models of AFO with different width of neck are made and analyzed with ABAQUS 6.1. The stress levels and distributions of 3 different width(W$_1$, W$_2$=0.85W$_1$, W$_3$=0.60W$_1$) AFO are investigated. As a result, the standard type(W$_1$) appears to the maximum stresses at the medial edge of cutout area surrounding ankle joint. The maximum stresses of the narrower type(W$_2$) are occured on medial edge and center of ankle. The narrowest type(W$_3$) appears to the maximum stresses at center of ankle. The maximum stresses become smaller as ankle width of AFO is narrower.