• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.49-57
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• 2020

We have not identified on what gender difference during gait at a pace of one's preferred velocity effects on the function of bilateral lower limb. This study was undertaken to investigate a difference of gait strategy by gender during gait at a one's preferred velocity of participants of adult male and female (n=20). Cinematographic data for motion analysis, ground reaction force (GRF) variables, and muscle volume of lower limb were analyzed. Significant difference of variables on movement of center of mass whole body, joint angle and moment of lower limb, and ground reaction force were tested by 2-way ANOVA analysis (P<0.05). Male group showed more muscle volume than female, and both showed more volume in dominant leg than non-dominant. Main effect by bilateral leg during gait showed higher difference in right than left leg in change of vertical position of center of mass (maximal, minimal). Main effect by gender in vertical change of position and velocity of center of mass showed higher difference in male than female (maximal, minimal). Hip joint showed more flexed and extended angle in male than female, and also dorsiflexion of ankle and flexion moment of knee and hip joint showed higher in male than female group. Therefore, this result was assumed that dominant showed furthermore more contribution for propulsive function than non-dominant leg. Gender difference showed in strategy controlling of biomechanical characteristics, and perhaps influenced by muscle volume.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.257-263
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• 2000

One of the basic assumptions in the static gait design for a walking robot is that the weight of leg should be negligible compared to that of body, so that the total gravity center is not affected by swing of a leg. Based on the ideal assumption of zero leg-weight, conventional static gait has been simply designed for the gravity center of body to be inside the support polygon, consisting of each support leg's tip position. In case that the weight of leg is relatively heavy, however, while the gravity center of body is kept inside the support polygon, the total gravity center of walking robot can be out of the polygon due to weight of a swinging leg, which causes instability in walking. Thus, it is necessary in the static gait design of a real robot a compensation scheme for the fluctuation in the gravity center. In this paper, a body impedance control is proposed to obtain the total gravity center based on foot forces measured from load cells of a real walking robot and to adjust its position to track the pre-designed trajectory of the corresponding ideal robot's body center. Therefore, the walking stability is secured even in case that the weight of leg has serious influence on the total gravity center of robot.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.217-218
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• 2010

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.391-399
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• 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the three-dimensional moment values of the hip joint for subjects with artificial leg length alterations and subjects with unaltered leg lengths. Methods: Forty-two healthy adults (8 men, 34 women) participated in this study. The selected subjects were able to walk normally, had less than a 1 cm leg length discrepancy, and were instructed to wear shoes that fit their feet. The study participants performed 8 dynamic gait trails to measure the hip joint moment using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. Kinetic and dynamic three-dimensional gait analysis data were collected from infrared cameras, and a force plate was used to standardize the weight of each subject. Results: There were significant correlations between the differences in the leg length discrepancy during right extension, right flexion, right internal rotation, and left extension in hip joint moments (p<0.05). There were significant correlations between the differences in shoe conditions during left extension, right flexion, right extension, and right internal rotation in the hip moments (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that a leg length discrepancy can affect hip joint moment, which may further exacerbate musculoskeletal disorders, such as osteoarthritis in lower extremity joints. Therefore, further studies should be conducted to verify the impact of clinical interventions on differences in hip joint moment values to correct leg length discrepancies and prevent osteoarthritis in lower extremity joints.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.9 no.11
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• pp.943-951
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• 2003

A strategy for fault-tolerant gaits of autonomous legged robots is proposed. A legged robot is considered to be fault tolerant with respect to a given failure if it is guaranteed to be capable of walking maintaining its static stability after the occurrence of the failure. The failure concerned in this paper is a locked joint failure for which a joint in a leg cannot move and is locked in place. If a failed joint is locked, the workspace of the resulting leg is constrained, but legged robots have fault tolerance capability to continue static walking. An algorithm for generating fault-tolerant gaits is described and, especially, periodic gaits are presented for forward walking of a hexapod robot with a locked joint failure. The leg sequence and the formula of the stride length are analytically driven based on gait study and robot kinematics. The transition procedure from a normal gait to the proposed fault-tolerant gait is shown to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed scheme.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.147.5-147
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• 2001

This paper describes a gait algorithm and a velocity limitation method for a Leg-Wheel Robot. The gait algorithm enables the robot to preserve continuous locomotion even if the velocity command varies extensively. The velocity limitation method restricts the commanded velocity when it exceeds the mechanical limitation of the robot. Combined use of the velocity limitation method with the gait algorithm ensures the continuity of locomotion, and makes the gait pattern efficient with a long step length and low frequency of leg phase change. These methods can be applied to locomotion on unexplored rough terrain even if the range of roughness is unknown.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.687-693
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• 2011

Spring-mass models have been widely accepted to explain the basic dynamics of human gait. Researchers found that the leg stiffness increased with gait speed to increase energy efficiency. However, the difference of leg stiffness change with gait speed between the young and the elderly has not been verified yet. In this study, we calculated the lower limb stiffness of the elderly using walking model with an axial spring. Vertical stiffness was defined as the ratio of the vertical force change to the vertical displacement change. Seven young and eight elderly subjects participated to the test. The subjects walked on a 12 meter long, 1 meter wide walkway at four different gait speeds, ranging from their self-selected speed to maximum speed randomly. Kinetic and kinematic data were collected using three force plates and motion capture cameras, respectively. The vertical stiffness of the two groups increased as a function of walking speed. Maximum walking speed of the elderly was slower than that of the young, yet the walking speed correlated well with the optimal stiffness that maximizes propulsion energy in both groups. The results may imply that human may use apparent limb stiffness to optimize energy based on spring-like leg mechanics.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare kinematic variables and stiffnesses of ankle joints between normal person and transfemoral amputee gait in order to develop or fit prosthetic leg. Twenty subjects (ten normal persons and ten transfemoral amputees) participated in this experiment, and walked three trials at a self-selected pace. The gait motions were captured with Vicon system and variables were calculated with Visual-3D. The velocity, stride length, stride width, cycle time, double limb support time and right swing time of gaits were statistically significant. Because coefficients of variability of normal persons on velocity, double limb support time and swing time were greater than transfemoral amputees, normal persons controlled these gait variables effectively. The stiffnesses of ankle joints were not statistically significant, but patterns of stiffnesses of ankle joints during three rockers were absolutely different. The negative correlations between stiffnesses of ankle joints and cycle time and swing time were presented. These differences suggest that developing and fitting prosthetic leg were demanded. Further studies should develop fitting program and simulator of prosthetic leg.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.43 no.5 s.311
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• pp.19-27
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• 2006

Improvement in gait stability of fault-tolerant gaits for quadruped robots is addressed in this paper. The previously developed fault-tolerant gait gives a quadruped robot the ability to continue its walk against the occurrence of a leg failure. But it has a drawback of having marginal gait stability, which may lead to tumbling when the robot body's center of gravity is perturbed. To overcome such a drawback, a novel fault-tolerant gait is presented in this paper that generates positive stability margin against a locked joint failure, in which a joint of a leg is locked in a known place. Positive stability margin is obtained by adjusting foot positions of supporting legs between leg swing sequences. The advantages of the proposed fault-tolerant gait are discussed by comparing with the previous gait in terms of gait stability, stride length and gait velocity.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1318-1332
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of walk training on leg strength, flexibility, postural stability, balance and gait in home bound elderly women. Eighteen elderly women of the experimental group aged between 70 and 90 years image who have normal vision, hearing and Romberg test. They participated in the 12 week walk training. The subjects of the experimental group practiced walk training 3 times a week for during 12 weeks. During the 40 minute workout, the subjects practiced 5 minutes of warming-up exercises, 30 minutes of conditioning exercises and 10 minutes of a cool-down exercise. The intensity for the conditioning phase was determined by subject' heart rates, which ranged from 60% to 70% of age-adjusted maximum heart rates. The body composition, leg strength, flexibility, postural stability, balance and gait were measured prior to and after the experimental treatment. The body fat, lean body mass, leg strength (ankle dorsiflexor, plantarflexor, inversor and eversir, knee flexor, extensior), flexibility (range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion and eversion), and postural stability of the experimental group were significantly greater than those of the control group. Duration of standing on the right foot and that of standing on the left foot of the experimental group was greater than that of the control group. Total balance scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Among 13 items for balance, the scores of experimental group in balance with eyes closes, turning balance, sternal nudge, neck turning, one leg standing balance and back extension were higher than those of the control group. Total scores of gait of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group following the walking training. Scores of experimental group in step height, step length and walk stance while walking among 9 items for gait were significantly higher than those of the control group. The results suggest that walk training can improve physical fitness for prevention in home bound elderly women.