Speaker: Hailey Heidecker
Research Advisor: Dr. Nathan Makowski
Title: Control of Multi-Joint Assistance for Post-Stroke Walking
Abstract: The most common chronic effect following a stroke is hemiparesis, which results in weakness and lack of motor control in one side of an individual’s body. Even after undergoing rehabilitation efforts, two-thirds of stroke survivors continue to experience gait impairments. This makes walking difficult and inefficient and increases risk of falls. Increased walking difficulty and decreased mobility ultimately results in secondary health effects including a loss of independence, decreased cardiovascular health, and diminished mental health due to decreased community engagement. While there are assistive technologies which aim to correct walking impairments caused by hemiparesis, they do not address the coordinated multi-joint assistance required to address the needs of stroke survivors with severe walking impairments. Our lab has developed a hybrid exoskeleton approach which integrates surface electrical stimulation and a knee actuator to provide multi-joint assistance throughout the entirety of the gait cycle. A control system has been developed capable of determining gait phase in real time. This allows assistance to be provided in a coordinated fashion based on the volitional control of the user. As the hybrid exoskeleton becomes more sophisticated in its ability to generate walking assistance, there becomes a need for automated detection to allow for different modes of locomotion to occur. To address this, an intuitive method has been developed capable of determining the user’s intention to either begin or stop walking allowing assistance to be turned on or off in a manner that mimics natural walking patterns. Other automated detection methods are also being investigated to determine changes in direction, speed, and ground incline.