• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.753-760
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• 2016

This study was undertaken to develop a bed-type cycling system of lower limbs for rehabilitation. This system consists of two modes of cycling: active and passive. Different velocity and loads are provided for improving the muscle function recovery and increasing the muscular strength. To analyze the muscle activity pattern, we measured muscular activity of lower limbs in the rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF), tibialis anterior (TA), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and soleus (SOL), while cycling in the supine position, and based on the pedaling direction. A total of 18 young and 23 elderly, healthy subjects participated in this study. Muscle activity of MG muscles was significantly different in the two age groups. This study could provide the reference data to develop cycling exercises for lower limbs during rehabilitation of the elderly patients.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.315-322
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• 2009

This paper explains a control and navigation algorithm of a 6-DOF gait rehabilitation robot, which can allow a patient to navigate in virtual reality (VR) by upper and lower limbs interactions. In gait rehabilitation robots, one of the important concerns is not only to follow the robot motions passively, but also to allow the patient to walk by his/her intention. Thus, this robot allows automatic walking velocity update by estimating interaction torques between the human and the upper limb device, and synchronizing the upper limb device to the lower limb device. In addition, the upper limb device acts as a user-friendly input device for navigating in virtual reality. By pushing the switches located at the right and left handles of the upper limb device, a patient is able to do turning motions during navigation in virtual reality. Through experimental results of a healthy subject, we showed that rehabilitation training can be more effectively combined to virtual environments with upper and lower limb connections. The suggested navigation scheme for gait rehabilitation robot will allow various and effective rehabilitation training modes.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.672-678
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• 2008

This paper proposes a new rehabilitation robot with upper and lower limb connections for gait training. As humans change a walking speed, their nervous systems adapt muscle activation patterns to modify arm swing for the appropriate frequency. By analyzing this property, we can find a relation between arm swinging and lower limb motions. Thus, the lower limb motion can be controlled by the arm swing for walking speed adaptation according to a patent's intension. This paper deals with the design aspects of the suggested gait rehabilitation robot, including a trajectory planning and a control strategy. The suggested robot is mainly composed of upper limb and lower limb devices, a body support system. The lower limb device consists of a slider device and two 2-dof footpads to allow walking training at uneven and various terrains. The upper limb device consists of an arm swing handle and switches to use as a user input device for walking. The body support system will partially support a patient's weight to allow the upper limb motions. Finally, we showed simulation results for the designed trajectory and controller using a dynamic simulation tool.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.723-728
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• 2003

The physical restoration technology for lower limb amputees is being advanced as the biomechatronics is being applied to the area of rehabilitation. As the advanced prosthetics for lower limb amputees are introduced, a suitable prescription of biomechanical rehabilitation training becomes important to utilize the advanced full features of the devices. Since lower limb amputation significantly affects biomechanical balance of mosculoskeletal system for gait, an appropriate and optimal biomechanical training and exercise should be provided to rebalance the system before wearing the prostheses. Particularly, biomechanical muscular training for hip movements in the both affected and sound lower limbs is important to achieve a normal-like ambulation. However, there is no study to understand the effect of hip muscle strength on the gait performance of lower limb amputees. To understand the hip muscle strength characteristics for normal and amputated subjects, the isokinetic exercises for various ratios of concentric contraction to eccentric contraction were performed for hip flexion-extension and adduction-abduction. As a results. biomechanical isokinetic training protocols and performance measurement methodologies for lower limb amputees were developed in this study. Using the protocols and measurement methods, it has been understood that the appropriate and optimal biomechanical prescription for the rehabilitation process for lower limb amputees is important for restoring their gait ability

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.124-127
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• 2015

Purpose: The emphasis on gait rehabilitation after stroke depends on training support through the lower limbs, balance of body mass over the changing base of support. However, muscle weakness, lack of control of lower limb, and poor balance can interfere with training after stroke. For this case study report, a wearable robot orthosis was applied to stroke patients in order to verify its actual applicability on balance and gait ability in the clinical field. Methods: Two stroke patients participated in the training using the wearable robot orthosis. Wearable robot orthosis provides patient-initiated active assistance contraction during training. Training includes weight shift training, standing up and sitting down, ground walking, and stair up and down Training was applied a total of 20 times, five times a week for 4 weeks, for 30 minutes a day. Gait ability was determined by Stance phase symmetry profile, Swing phase symmetry profile, and velocity using the GAITRite system. Balance ability was measured using the Biodex balance system. Results: Subjects 1, 2 showed improved gait and balance ability with mean individual improvement of 72.4% for velocity, 19.4% for stance phase symmetry profile, 9.6% for swing phase symmetry profile, and 13.6% for balance ability. Conclusion: Training utilizing a wearable robot orthosis can be useful for improvement of the gait and balance ability of stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1425-1433
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• 2011

We investigated an early rehabilitation training system that increase the intensity of patient rehabilitation training to shorten the time it takes for patients to progress to a secondary rehabilitation training stage by allowing patients incapable of self-ambulation. It consisted of tilting bed, unstable platform using strong springs and training program for lower limb rehabilitation. We performed experimental study on the muscular activities of tibialis anterior(TA), soleus(SO), gastrocnemius(GA) in the lower extremities during training of straight line, circle, quardrangle pattern during tilting angle of $30^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$. The muscle activities were higher during tilting angle of $30^{\circ}$ than $60^{\circ}$. In straight line pattern, the muscle activities were higher by SO, GA and TA during medio-lateral direction, however, by TA, SO and GA during anterio-posterior direction. In circle and quardrangle pattern, the muscle activities were higher by TA, SO and GA during clockwise and counterclockwise direction. The results indicate that the early rehabilitation training system could be applied to improve the lower extremity muscular strength for elderly and patients, especially, stroke.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1517-1527
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• 2011

This paper presents a motion capture based rehabilitation training system for a lower-limb paretic patient. The system evaluates the rehabilitation status of the patient by using the bend posture of the knees and the weight balance of the body. The posture of both legs is captured with a single camera using the planar mirror. The weight distribution is obtained by the Wii Balance Board. Self-occlusion problem in the tracking of the legs is resolved by using k-nearest neighbor based clustering with body symmetry and local-linearity of the posture data. To do this, we present data normalization and its symmetric property in the normalized vector space.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2009

Purpose：This study was performed for effects of gait training on treadmill and stable surface which influenced on the lower limbs muscular activity needed in gait, plantar foot pressure with hemiplegic patients caused by cerebrovascular accident. Methods：Two groups of adult hemiplegia(n=20) were allocated randomly in this study: treadmill gait training group and control group. The gait training program was provided to experimental groups for 8 weeks (5 times a week). Measurements of pre and post experiment were plantar foot pressure. For measuring muscular activation rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius were detected. Results：The results of this study showed that in comparison of pre and post changes of gait training, the treadmill gait training group has noticeable changes than other groups in activity of rectus femoris and tibialis anterior, the control group revealed statistically significant differences in plantar foot pressure Toe2-5, M1, M3, M5, MF area, activity of gastrocnemius. Conclusion：These results mean gait training resulted by treadmill, stable surface provides effective muscle activation and plantar foot pressure with stroke.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.590-600
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• 2007

We performed experimental studies on the muscle activities in the lower limbs for the different movement patterns on an unstable platform. A training system for postural control using an unstable platform that we previously developed was applied for the experiments. This unstable platform provides 360 degrees of movement allowing for training of posture in various directions and provides simultaneous excitations to visual sensory, somatic sensation and vestibular organs. Compare with the stable platform, keeping body balance on the unstable platform requests more effective sensation from vision, vestibular sense and somatic sense. Especially, the somatosensory inputs from the muscle proprioceptors and muscle force are crucial. To study the muscle activities for the different movement patterns and find the best training method for improving the ability of postural control through training and improving the lower extremity muscular strength, fifteen young healthy participants went through trainings and experiments. The participants were instructed to move the center of pressure following the appointed movement pattern while standing on the unstable platform. The electromyographies of the muscles in the lower limbs were recorded and analyzed in the time and the frequency domain. Our experimental results showed the significant differences in muscle activities for the different movement patterns. Especially, the spectral energy of electromyography signals in muscle for the movement pattern in anterior-posterior direction was significantly higher than those occurred in the other patterns. The muscles in the lower leg, especially tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius were more activated compared to the others for controlling the balance of body on the unstable platform. The experimental results suggest that, through the choice of different movement pattern, the training for lower extremity strength could be performed on specific muscles in different intensity. And, the ability of postural control could be improved by the training for lower extremity strength.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.121-134
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of different types of rehabilitation training program on the kinetic and kinematic parameters during sit-to-stand movement(STS) in chronic stroke patients. Two groups of hemiparetic patients, experimental and control, participated in the study. The experimental group participated in a 10-week training program (three sessions/wk, $1{\sim}1.5\;hr/session$) consisting of a warm-up, aerobic exercises, lower extremity strengthening. and a cool-down. The control group participated in an aerobic exercise. Three dimensional kinematic analysis and force platform; were used to analyze the duration of STS, lower extremity angle, and weight bearing ability. The experimental group which had more strength of lower extremity displayed decrease in duration of STS. However, the control group showed increases in duration during sit-to-stand movement. The control group flexed their trunk more than the group did Therefore, it took more time to extend their trunk during STS. The duration in sit-to-stand was affected by the strength of lower extremity and the angle of trunk movement. The angles of ankle and knee joint had an influenced on duration of STS. The post experimental group performed with their feet near the front leg of the chair during sit-to-stand, therefore the duration was decreased. The repetitive sit-to-stand movements as a resistance exercise was effective to hemiparetic patients in learning mechanism of sit-to-stand. The control group showed decreased differences in the vertical ground reaction forces between paretic and non-paretic limbs. Their training program included strengthening exercise that may help improving weight bearing ability. The control group showed increases in the center of pressure in the anteroposterior and mediolateral displacement. This means that the stability of movement was low in the control group. Their training program which combined aerobic and strengthening exercises that are more effective to improve the stability of movement.