Abstract
We have developed a walking assistance device for neuro-rehabilitation of hemiplegic patients. In clinical trials, the users including MD and PT requested as follows: 1) Low cost, 2) Adjustable for various users, 3) Easy to bend at the toe (because of the sole of orthosis was made of hard plastic), 4) Can grasp the sole pressure without fail (inner sole type pressure sensor was apt to keep on pressing). To address these problems, we developed novel type of the walking device, i.e. it is attached under the user's shoes directly. This device equips four pressure sensors to obtain user's walking phase and evaluate user's gait posture precisely. The soleplate of this device under the toe was exchanged to the flexible rubber plate, therefore the user enabled to kick by his/her toe at the end of stance phase. By using this device we confirmed that it could be improved the feasibility of walking assistance from the result of measured pressure sensor data.
