Showing papers by "David Howard published in 2015"
TL;DR: An investigation into the kinematic and kinetic predictions of two "inverted pendulum" (IP) models of gait was undertaken, finding that the primary role of the hip musculature in stance is to keep the HAT upright.
34 citations
TL;DR: Critical reflection and within-project evaluation underpins this case study which presents a much needed detailed account of public involvement in assistive technology design research to add to the existing weak evidence base.
Abstract: Purpose: To appraise the application of accepted good practice guidance on public involvement in assistive technology research and to identify its impact on the research team, the public, device an...
19 citations
01 Sep 2015
TL;DR: Findings demonstrate the importance of training in tactile paving for pedestrians with a vision impairment; the need for a review of the guidanc...
Abstract: Tactile paving has been designed in response to the needs of vision-impaired pedestrians to be independent, mobile, confident and safe when using the external environment. Tactile paving is not without its critics because it can adversely affect other pedestrians particularly older people, and those with mobility impairments. Interviews were conducted at eight selected road crossing sites in Edinburgh to determine older people's experiences of using specific road crossings, in particular their views and experiences of using tactile paving. Two hundred participants were interviewed who were aged 65 years and older, and who appeared not to have a significant health issue or disability that was affecting their mobility. In addition, eight pedestrians who had significant mobility issues and 30 pedestrians who had moderate to severe vision impairment were interviewed. Findings demonstrate the importance of training in tactile paving for pedestrians with a vision impairment; the need for a review of the guidanc...
17 citations
TL;DR: The Soft Tissue Response Imaging Device was developed to apply a vertical compression to the plantar soft tissue whilst measuring the mechanical response via a combined load cell and ultrasound imaging arrangement and has been shown to be capable of implementing complex loading patterns similar to gait.
9 citations
TL;DR: This paper describes a series of research and clinical studies which have led to the first demonstration of unsupervised automated setup of an electrode-array based drop foot stimulator.
8 citations
TL;DR: This study investigated the cause-and-effect relationships between gait mechanisms and resulting kinematics and kinetics, using a sequence of mathematical models of increasing complexity to provide evidence for the specific effects of each gait mechanism.
Abstract: Mathematical gait models often fall into one of two categories: simple and complex. There is a large leap in complexity between model types, meaning the effects of individual gait mechanisms get overlooked. This study investigated the cause-and-effect relationships between gait mechanisms and resulting kinematics and kinetics, using a sequence of mathematical models of increasing complexity. The focus was on sagittal plane and single support only. Starting with an inverted pendulum (IP), extended to include a HAT (head-arms-trunk) segment and an actuated hip moment, further complexities were added one-by-one. These were a knee joint, an ankle joint with a static foot, heel rise, and finally a swing leg. The presence of a knee joint and an ankle moment (during foot flat) were shown to largely influence the initial peak in the vertical GRF curve. The second peak in this curve was achieved through a combination of heel rise and the presence of a swing leg. Heel rise was also shown to reduce errors in the horizontal GRF prediction in the second half of single support. The swing leg is important for centre-of-mass (CM) deceleration in late single support. These findings provide evidence for the specific effects of each gait mechanism.
6 citations