• KIEAE Journal
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.69-75
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• 2012

Developing reliable measures of the environment is important to increase our understanding of the environmental effects on walking among seniors. As a preliminary study for developing an instrument for measuring walkability of seniors' environment, the purpose of this study are to identify important assessment indicators associated with seniors' walking and to test their reliability using inter-rater and intra-rater reliability methods. A set of assessment indicators was identified through literature review, and field studies by trained raters were conducted in three senior centers located in Seongnam area in order to test reliability of the audit tool. The results indicated high percent agreement for most indicators and overall 91.6% and 86.1% of items assessed had good or medium inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, respectively. The reliable assessment indicators would provide reliable data for use in community-based audits of built environment in relation to walking among older adults. The findings showed that the indicators of aesthetics had lower reliability compare to safety, convenience, and access. Rater training with various images would improve rater agreement while reduce rater bias.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제25권7호
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• pp.79-86
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• 2008

This paper describes the development of wearing intelligent shoe system to measure applied forces and moments (ground reaction forces and moments) on the soles of feet during human walking. In order to walk safely, robot must get the intelligent feet with 6-axis force/moment sensors (Fx sensor (x-direction force sensor), Fy sensor, Fz sensor, Mx sensor (Mx : x-direction moment sensor), My sensor, and Mz sensor) and detect the forces and moments data from the sensors. And the feet must be controlled with the data and controllers. While a human is walking, the forces and moments should be measured and analyzed for robot's intelligent feet. Therefore, the wearing intelligent shoe system should be developed. In this paper, four 6-axis farce/moment sensors and two high speed measuring devices were designed and fabricated, and the wearing intelligent shoe system was made using these. The characteristic tests of the wearing intelligent shoe system were performed, and the forces and moments were detected using it.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.13-19
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• 2011

Purpose: In real life there are both straight-paths and curved-paths. To evaluate walking ability of both kinds, a figure-8 walking test (F8WT) was developed. The aim of this study was to validate the measure in hemiplegic patients with walking difficulties and to identify correlations of curved walking ability with straight walking ability, motor function, and walking performance ability. Methods: Twenty subjects participated in this study. Curved walking was measured by a F8WT. Straight walking ability was measured by a 10-meter walking test (10MWT). Dynamic balancea bility was measured by timed up and go (TUG) tests. Walking performance ability was measured using a modified motor assessment scale (MMAS). Motor function was measured by the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. Linear regression analyses were performed to explore other functional tests in mobility ability by F8WT time, 10MWT (dependent variable). Results: There was a significant positive correlation of F8WT time with 10MWT and TUG. There was a significant negative correlation of F8WT time with MMAS and FMA-coordination. There was a significant positive correlation of 10MWT with TUG. There was a significant negative correlation of 10MWT with MMAS and FMA-coordination. The F8WT time for curved walking ability was attributed to 10MWT for straight walking ability as 94% level of contribution. Conclusion: The results suggest that the F8WT is a good instrument for measuring walking ability because there is a robust correlation of F8WT time with 10MWT, TUG, MMAS, and FMA-coordination in hemiplegic patients who, after stroke, have a mobility deficiency.

• 한국전문물리치료학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.63-70
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• 2005

To compare the effects of forward walking and backward walking on surface electromyographic analysis of quadriceps muscles at treadmill grades of 0%, 5% and 10%, subjects were randomized to eleven athletics (5 females, 6 males), with a mean age of 17.8 years, and a SD of 4.66 years. The values of the surface electromyographic (SEMG) activity of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL) and vastus medialis oblique (VMO) were measured during forward walking and backward walking on a treadmill at grades of 0, 5 and 10%. The subjects walked for approximately 10 seconds at 4.0 km/h. The data were analyzed by repeated measuring of the two-way ANOVA and analyzed by a paired t-test between forward walking and backward walking. The SEMG activity levels of the RF, VL and VMO were the highest when both the forward walking and backward walking increased incrementally for treadmill grades of 0% to 10%, but the VMO/VL ratio had no significant changes. The SEMG activity levels of the RF, VL and VMO were significantly different between directions. However, SEMG activity levels of the RF, VL, VMO and VMO/VL ratio did not show significant difference among the treadmill grades. No statistically significant interactions were detected between the direction of walking and treadmill grade. Backward walking on the treadmill at 4 km/h and grades of 0%, 5%, 10% elicited a greater SEMG activity on the quadriceps muscles than did forward walking under the same conditions. The results suggest that the quadriceps may be effectively activated by performance at treadmill grades of 10%. This investigation confirms that backward walking up an incline may place additional muscular demands on individuals.

• 대한전기학회논문지:시스템및제어부문D
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.376-382
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• 2005

In this paper, practical biped humanoid robot is presented, designed, and modeled by fuzzy system. The humanoid robot is a popular research area in robotics because of the high adaptability of a walking robot in an unstructured environment. But owing to the lots of circumstances which have to be taken into account it is difficult to generate stable and natural walking motion in various environments. As a significant criterion for the stability of the walk, ZMP (zero moment point) has been used. If the ZMP during walking can be measured, it is possible for a biped humanoid robot to realize stable walking by a control method that makes use of the measured ZMP. In this study, measuring the ZMP trajectories in real time situations throughout the whole walking phase on the flat floor and slope are conducted. And the obtained ZMP data are modeled by fuzzy system to explain empirical laws of the humanoid robot. By the simulation results, the fuzzy system can be effectively used to model practical humanoid robot and the acquired trajectories will be applied to the humanoid robot for the human-like walking motions.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2004년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.359-363
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• 2004

Numerous studies have been performed to analyze various phenomena of human's walking, gait. In the present study, unrecognized walking and recognized walking were analyzed by three dimensional motion capture system(VICON motion system Ltd., England) and simulated by computer program. Two normal males participated in measuring the motion of unrecognized and recognized walking. Six infrared cameras and four force plates were used and sixteen reflective markers were attached to the subject to capture the motion. A musculoskeletal model was generated anatomically by using ADAMS(MSC software corp., USA) and LifeMOD(Biomechanics Research Group Inc, USA). The inverse dynamic simulation and forward dynamic simulation were also performed. The result of simulation was similar to the experimental result. This study provides the base line for dynamic simulation of the falling walking. It will be useful to simulate various another pathologic gaits for old peoples.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.133-144
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• 2002

This study aims at examining the effects of strengthening leg muscular strength on increasing elderly's muscular strength, walking ability and balance according to their experience of injury from a fall. It conducts muscular strength exercise for 4 weeks with 19 healthy old people over 65years and as a result of measuring their conditions for 6 weeks, it obtains the following conclusions. 1. Two groups showed a significant difference in their muscular strength, walking ability and balance according to the period(p<0.05). 2. Muscular strength and balance between the two groups showed a significant difference(p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in their walking ability(pgt;0.05). 3. Therefore, the exercise of strengthening leg muscular strength in this study has a significant effect on old people's walking ability and balance.

• 한국산업융합학회 논문집
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.459-465
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• 2019

There is an increasing interest in health and research on methods for measuring human body information. The importance of continuously observing information such as the step change and the walking speed is increasing. At a person's gait, information about the disease and the currently weakened area can be known. In this paper, gait is measured using wearable walking module built in shoes. We want to make continuous measurement possible by simplifying gait measurement method. This module is designed to receive information of gyro sensor and acceleration sensor. The designed module is capable of WiFi communication and the collected walking information is stored in the server. The information stored in the server is corrected by integrating the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor value. A band-pass filter was used to reduce the error. This data is categorized by the Gait Finder into walking and waiting states. When walking, each step is divided and stored separately for analysis.

• 한국전문물리치료학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

Background: The method of measuring the walking function of patients with chronic stroke differs depending on patients walking capability and environmental conditions. Objects: This study aimed to demonstrate the influences of walking capacity and environmental conditions on the results of short- and long-distance walk tests in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Forty patients with chronic stroke volunteered for this study, and allocated to group-1 (<.4m/s, household walking, $n_1=13$), group-2 (.4~.8m/s, limited community ambulation, $n_2=16$), and group-3 (>.8m/s, community ambulation, $n_3=11$) according to their walking capacity. The 10-meter walk test (10MWT) and 6-min walk tests, (6MWT) were used to compare the short- and long-distance walk tests results, which were randomly performed under indoor and outdoor environmental conditions. Results: The comparison of the results obtained under the indoor and outdoor conditions revealed statistically significant differences between the groups in the 6MWT and 10MWT (p<.05). Post-hoc tests' results showed significant differences between groups-1 and -2 and between groups-1 and -3 in the 10MWT, and between group-1 and -3 in the 6MWT. Furthermore, in group-2 the 10MWT and 6MWT results significantly differed between the indoor and outdoor conditions, and the values measured under the indoor and outdoor conditions significantly differed between 10MWT and 6MWT (p<.05). Group-3 showed a significant difference in 10MWT results between the indoor and outdoor conditions (p<.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the results of the short- and long-distance walk tests may differ depending on the walking capacity of patients with chronic stroke and the environmental condition under which the measurement is made, and these effects were greatest for the patients with the limited community ambulation capacity.

• 국제학술발표논문집
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• The 9th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• pp.1245-1246
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• 2022

Walkability is an indicator of how much pedestrians are willing to walk and how well a walking environment is created. As walking can promote pedestrians' mental and physical health, there has been increasing focus on improving walkability in different ways. Thus, plenty of research has been undertaken to measure walkability. When measuring walkability, there are many objective and subjective variables. Subjective variables include a feeling of safety, pleasure, or comfort, which can significantly affect perceived walkability. However, these subjective factors are difficult to measure by making the walkability index more reliant on objective and physical factors. Because many subjective variables are associated with human emotional states, understanding pedestrians' emotional states provides an opportunity to measure the subjective walkability variables more quantitatively. Pedestrians' emotions can be examined through surveys, but there are social and economic difficulties involved when conducting surveys. Recently, an increasing number of studies have employed physiological data to measure pedestrians' stress responses when navigating unpleasant environmental barriers on their walking paths. However, studies investigating the emotional states of pedestrians in the walking environment, including assessing their positive emotions felt, such as pleasure, have rarely been conducted. Using wearable devices, this study examined the various emotional states of pedestrians affected by the walking environment. Specifically, this study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of monitoring biometric data, such as electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate variability (HRV), using wearable devices as an indicator of pedestrians' emotional states-both pleasant-unpleasant and aroused-relaxed states. To this end, various walking environments with different characteristics were set up to collect and analyze the pedestrians' biometric data. Subsequently, the subjects wearing the wearable devices were allowed to walk on the experimental paths as usual. After the experiment, the valence (i.e., pleasant or unpleasant) and arousal (i.e., activated or relaxed) scale of the pedestrians was identified through a bipolar dimension survey. The survey results were compared with many potentially relevant EDA and HRV signal features. The research results revealed the potential for physiological responses to indicate the pedestrians' emotional states, but further investigation is warranted. The research results were expected to provide a method to measure the subjective factors of walkability by measuring emotions and monitoring pedestrians' positive or negative feelings when walking to improve the walking environment. However, due to the lack of samples and other internal and external factors influencing emotions (which need to be studied further), it cannot be comprehensively concluded that the pedestrians' emotional states were affected by the walking environment.