Showing papers on "Stair climbing published in 2003"

Specific effects of balance and gait exercises on physical function among the frail elderly

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the specific effects of balance and gait exercises among frail elderly individuals.Design: A randomized three-group parallel controlled study.Setting: Geriatric health services facility in Japan.Subjects: Thirty-four frail elderly subjects attending the care facility were randomized into a control group, an exercise group with emphasis on balance or an exercise group with emphasis on gait re-education.Interventions: The two exercise groups received balance or gait exercise for 40 minutes, 2–3 times weekly, for 12 weeks.Main outcome measures: One Leg Standing Test, Functional Reach Test, Manual Perturbation Test, Functional Balance Scale, Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment, Timed ‘Up and Go’ Test and Stair Climbing/Descending Test. These assessments were performed before and after 12-week intervention.Results: Comparison of the performance before and after intervention demonstrated significant improvement in One Leg Standing Test, Functional Reach Test and Functional Balance Sc...

The use of functional analysis in evaluating knee kinematics : Knee kinematics and total knee replacement design

Abstract: The importance of understanding the six-degrees-of-freedom kinematics of the knee during ambulatory activities was examined in the context of the function of total knee arthroplasty. Studies of knee kinematics during walking, stair climbing, and a deep flexion squat indicate that knee kinematics is activity-dependent. A comparative study of patients and healthy subjects during stair climbing indicates the importance of maintaining the function of the posterior cruciate ligament. A second study used walking kinematics derived from patient testing as input to a wear simulator. There was increased wear relative to standard simulator input that was related to the slip velocity at the contact surface. Finally, results from a study of deep flexion indicate that substantial femoral rotation is required during deep flexion activities. The current study shows the importance of studying in vivo knee kinematics for future enhancement in the treatment of the arthritic knee.

The Use of Functional Analysis in Evaluating Knee Kinematics

Abstract: The importance of understanding the six-degrees-of-freedom kinematics of the knee during ambulatory activities was examined in the context of the function of total knee arthroplasty. Studies of knee kinematics during walking, stair climbing, and a deep flexion squat indicate that knee kinematics is activity-dependent. A comparative study of patients and healthy subjects during stair climbing indicates the importance of maintaining the function of the posterior cruciate ligament. A second study used walking kinematics derived from patient testing as input to a wear simulator. There was increased wear relative to standard simulator input that was related to the slip velocity at the contact surface. Finally, results from a study of deep flexion indicate that substantial femoral rotation is required during deep flexion activities. The current study shows the importance of studying in vivo knee kinematics for future enhancement in the treatment of the arthritic knee.

Recovery of mobility after knee arthroplasty: expected rates and influencing factors.

Abstract: Mobility was measured in 79 people 6 months after knee arthroplasty using timed tests of stair climbing and walking speed. Recovery rates were calculated in comparison with a preoperative assessment. Changes in leg extensor power, knee flexion range, and pain were tracked simultaneously. Stair climbing speed improved on average by 53% during the first 6 months, and walking speed by 45%. In multivariate models, 2 preoperative factors emerged as being influential on recovery of mobility: leg extensor power and body mass index. A marked loss of flexion in the postoperative period was not a significant determinant of mobility speed. At 6 months, body mass index was the most significant determinant of stair speed, and leg extensor power was the most significant determinant of walking speed.

Towards bipedal running of a six-legged robot

Abstract: : This paper presents preliminary bipedal running experiments with our Robotic Hexapod, RHex. The robot and the bipedal gait are under-actuated, using only one actuated degree of freedom per compliant leg. We doubled up the hind legs by attaching a duplicate set of hind legs at 180 degrees, forming S shaped hind legs. This reduces the actuator speed requirements during noncontact, while preserving the bipedal dynamics and control challenges. Stable running at an average 1.08 m/s with a success rate of 59% (100% without steering failures) over ten runs is obtained with only leg angle and body pitch angle feedback. The average specific resistance (cost of transport) of 1.2 is lower than previously reported numbers for pronk and bound gaits at similar speeds. clock-driven tripod gaits. These biologically motivated ideas, combined with sound scientific and engineering principles, have endowed RHex with a large repertoire of gaits, including walking over highly broken and irregular terrain 9, pronking 6, stair climbing 7,8, swimming 11, flipping 10 and quadrupedal bounding 2.

Development of a robotic walking simulator for gait rehabilitation

Abstract: Restoration of gait is a major concern of rehabilitation after stroke or spinal cord injury. Modern concepts of motor learning favour a task-specific repetitive approach, i.e. "whoever wants to learn to walk again must walk." However, the physical demands this places on the therapist, is a limiting factor in the clinical routine setting. This article describes a robotic walking simulator for gait training that enables wheelchair-bound subjects to freely carry out repetitive practicing of an individually adapted gait pattern under simulation of the manual guidance of an experienced therapist. The technical principle applied makes use of programmable footplates with permanent foot/machine contact in combination with compliance control. The solution chosen comprises a planar parallel-serial hybrid kinematic system with three degrees of freedom that moves the feet in the sagittal plane. Gait analysis while floor walking and stair climbing, clinical practicability and safety aspects were the basis for the design. A variable compliance control enables man-machine interaction, ranging from purely position controlled movement to full compliance during swing phase above a virtual ground profile. In full compliance mode the robotic walking simulator behaves like a haptic device. The concept presented offers new prospects for individualized gait rehabilitation.

Exercise treadmill with slope adjustment

Abstract: A treadmill type exercise machine having an endless belt for simulating walking up a hill is provided. The exercise machine uses low impact walking motion, which is a favored exercise method while combining the extra effort of climbing without using the same muscle groups as a stair climbing exercise device. The treadmill is an improvement over level treadmills and inclined treadmills. The treadmill uses a cycle of 5 stages to accomplish the exercise. In the first stage the treadmill endless belt is flat, in the second stage the endless belt is moved into an inclined position, in the third stage the endless belt is raised while inclined to provide for simulated hill climbing while a person is walking on the endless belt. In the fourth stage the endless belt is leveled at a raised height. In the fifth stage the endless belt is lowered to the initial position.

Effect of external marker sets on between-day reproducibility of knee kinematics and kinetics in stair climbing and level walking.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the between-day repeatability of the knee kinematics and kinetics in stair climbing and level walking among three marker sets: the Helen-Hays marker set with some markers on well-defined bony landmarks and some on not well-defined locations on soft tissues, the modified Helen-Hays marker set with a static calibration trial, and the UNC-CH marker set with all marker on well defined bony landmarks and a static calibration trial. Three-dimensional coordinates of markers in stair climbing and level walking were collected for six subjects on three days. Three-dimensional knee joint angles and resultant forces and moments were calculated. A between-day coefficient of multiple correlation was used to represent between-day repeatability of the knee joint angles, and resultant forces and moments during the stance phases of the stair climbing and level walking. Marker set had significant effect on the knee joint angles and resultant forces and moments (p < 0.02), except the knee axial force. The modified Helen-Hays marker set with a static calibration significantly improved the between-day repeatability for most of the knee angles and resultant forces and moments. The UNC-CH marker set with all markers on well-defined bony landmarks and a static calibration trial further improved the between-day repeatability of most the knee angles and resultant forces and moments.

Stair climbing exerciser

Abstract: A stair climbing exerciser includes a frame with two links pivotably connected between two lugs on two rails of the frame and two cylinders are respectively connected to the two links and the frame. Each frame is connected to a pedal. An adjusting member is rotatably connected to two bolts extending from the two links so that the two links are pulled toward each other or pushed away from each other by rotating the adjusting member. By this way, the height of the two links and the pedals can be adjusted simultaneously.

The stair climbing robot and traveling method

Abstract: PURPOSE: A robot capable of going up/down stairs is provided to recognize an unpassable obstacle and a passable stairs by using a photo sensor and a vision sensor. CONSTITUTION: A robot capable of going up/down stairs is composed of a vehicle body(100), a front wheel assembly(110) installed at the front of the vehicle body, a front wheel rotating unit(130), a rear wheel assembly(120) installed at the rear of the vehicle body, a rear wheel rotating unit, a wheel distance controlling unit, and sensing unit. The vehicle body includes a top plate(101), a bottom plate(102), and a front and a rear plate(103,104) coupled with the top plate and the rear plate. The front wheel assembly includes front supporting legs(111,112), a front axle(113), and front driving wheels(160) installed at both ends of the front axle. The rear wheel assembly includes rear supporting legs(121,122), a rear axle, and rear driving wheels installed at both ends of the rear axle. The sensing unit includes a long-range sensor(210), a front sensor, a rear sensor, and a bottom sensor(240).

Stair climbing two-wheel hand truck

Abstract: not available for EP1109710Abstract of corresponding document: WO0012371The invention relates to a two-wheel hand truck (1) which consists of a carrier frame (2) comprising a lower pair of load wheels (4) and upper handles (3) and of a lifting device (6) for climbing stairs which comprises a lifting arm (10) which has support rollers at its free end and by means of a crank mechanism (8) can be turned about an axis of rotation (S) which is parallel to the load wheel axis (L). To provide a stair-climbing aid which is simple, compact and easy to handle and functions reliably the lifting arm (10) consists of a vibrating guide part (11) which is mounted such that it is able to pivot about the axis of rotation (S) and a support part (12) which can be displaced in a longitudinal direction in relation to the vibrating guide part (11) and houses the support rollers (13), the crank mechanism (8) being articulated on the support part (12) with its crank arm (9).

Autonomous stair climbing

Abstract: As the face of warfare changes, the military has started to explore the application of robotics on the battlefield. Robots give soldiers a flexible, technologically advanced, disposable set of eyes and ears to assist them with their goal. This thesis deals with the design and implementation of a system to allow a small highly mobile tactical robot to climb stairs autonomously. A subsumption architecture is used to coordinate and control the maneuver. Various approaches to the problem including evolved architectures and use of contraction analysis are explored. Code was written and tested for functionality with basic test software. The functionality of parts of the system and control architecture was tested on the robot in a simulated operational environment. Technical Supervisor: Dr. Jamie Anderson Title: Principal Member of Technical Staff & Group Leader GBB3 Thesis Advisor: Professor Leslie P. Kaelbling Title: Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

Perceptual Judgments for Stair Climbing as a Function of Pitch Angle

Abstract: Two experiments explored perception and action for stair climbing, with manipulations to the stair dimensions In Experiment 1, a custom-built apparatus manipulated the stair dimensions, while three groups of participants made perceptual judgments of climbability The groups differed significantly for absolute leg length (p < 0001), but there was no significant difference between the groups when stair dimensions were calculated relative to leg length The selected tread depths and riser heights reflected constant proportions of participants' leg length Using the pitch angles formed as a composite metric, the results revealed that all groups selected 60° as the limit for climbability Experiment 2 scaled pitch angle systematically from 20° to 80°, and participants judged 65° and beyond to be unclimbable These results provided evidence that pitch angle might be used in perceptual judgments for stair climbability

Combination of treadmill and stair climbing machine

Abstract: A combination of treadmill and stair climbing machine includes a single roller supported on a shaft between two lugs on two sides of the frame of the combination and two rear ends of two pedals are respectively connected to the roller and supported on the two lugs. Two front ends of the two pedals are respectively connected to two hydraulic cylinders. A switch member is pivotably connected to a front end of the frame and can be set in a horizontal position when the combination is used as stair climbing machine, and an inclined position when the combination is used as treadmill. An L-shaped plate is connected to the frame and each pedal has a connection plate which has two elongate holes in which two protrusions on each side of the L-shaped plate are movably engaged, such that the pedals are pivotably supported on the L-shaped plate when used as stair climbing machine.