Adaptation to walking with an exoskeleton that assists ankle extension |
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| Authors: | S. Galle P. Malcolm W. Derave D. De Clercq |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States;2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States;1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA;2. Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA;3. Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA;4. Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA;5. Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA;1. Biomechanics and Technical Aids Unit, National Hospital for Spinal Cord Injury, Toledo, Spain;2. Neural Engineering Group, Cajal Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain;1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;2. Intelligent Prosthetic Systems, LLC 2811 Lillian Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA;3. Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA |
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| Abstract: | The goal of this study was to investigate adaptation to walking with bilateral ankle-foot exoskeletons with kinematic control that assisted ankle extension during push-off. We hypothesized that subjects would show a neuromotor and metabolic adaptation during a 24 min walking trial with a powered exoskeleton. Nine female subjects walked on a treadmill at 1.36 ± 0.04 ms?1 during 24 min with a powered exoskeleton and 4 min with an unpowered exoskeleton. Subjects showed a metabolic adaptation after 18.5 ± 5.0 min, followed by an adapted period. Metabolic cost, electromyography and kinematics were compared between the unpowered condition, the beginning of the adaptation and the adapted period. In the beginning of the adaptation (4 min), a reduction in metabolic cost of 9% was found compared to the unpowered condition. This reduction was accompanied by reduced muscular activity in the plantarflexor muscles, as the powered exoskeleton delivered part of the necessary ankle extension moment. During the adaptation this metabolic reduction further increased to 16%, notwithstanding a constant exoskeleton assistance. This increased reduction is the result of a neuromotor adaptation in which subjects adapt to walking with the exoskeleton, thereby reducing muscular activity in all leg muscles. Because of the fast adaptation and the significant reductions in metabolic cost we want to highlight the potential of an ankle-foot exoskeleton with kinematic control that assists ankle extension during push-off. |
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