Clinical Trial: Powered Hip & Ankle Exoskeletons for Stroke Survivors With Gait Impairment
Georgia Institute of Technology
Summary
An exoskeleton device is a robotic system designed to improve an individual's ability to move and perform tasks encountered in everyday situations. These devices consist of external rigid limb segments that assists humans through different body movements with the use of actuators. These devices are controlled by an onboard computer that determines the timing and magnitude of assistance deployed to the user. Exoskeleton controller performance is key to providing beneficial assistance that does not inhibit the user's movement. Preceding work will compare the benefit of personalized hip versus ankle joint exoskeleton assistance for improvement of post-stroke gait. It will combine exoskeleton technology with the user's movement feedback to improve wearable robotic assistance to an individual stroke survivor's gait pattern. For the clinical trial research covered under this protocol, the investigator will test various exoskeleton technologies with stroke survivors in real-world contexts, indoors and outdoors, and measure clinically meaningful outcomes and user perceptions regarding technology usability and adoption. The long-term goal is to deploy self-adaptive, adoptable exoskeletons for personalized assistance during community ambulation.
Description
Participants will serve as their own control in this study. This study will be divided into 2 sessions that will occur on 2 separate days: 1) Hip Exoskeleton session and 2) Ankle Exoskeleton session. In each session, subjects will undergo two conditions in which they complete the outcomes measures 1) while wearing the exoskeleton and 2) in a baseline condition without the exoskeleton. Order of condition and session will be randomized. Prior to the exoskeleton condition, subjects will be allowed time to acclimate to the device during a walking session on the treadmill. Subjects will proceed to…