Sensorised child walker for the assessment of rehabilitation therapies

Abstract

The balance and corporal position of people with movement disorders improve when walkers or devices for the mobility aid are used [1]. The ability to walk and interact with the environment causes improvements in the gait, the muscle strength, the endurance, and the muscle innervation. In addition, the use of gait support systems promotes user participation and interaction, giving them greater autonomy and a better life quality. There are many works that offer solutions adapted to the patient's condition and their pathology and allow doctors to personalize rehabilitation therapies based on patient’s evolution [2, 3]. However, many static training platforms, pediatric exoskeletons and smart walkers can be unfeasible for most rehabilitation centers. This project addresses the development of an affordable sensorised walker capable of detecting and storing parameters induced by the patient in a passive posterior walker prototype. The walker is designed for training the gait and monitoring of the patient’s progress. In this way, professionals in the rehabilitation field such as orthopedists, doctors and physiotherapists will be able to use the electronic instrumentation of the walker to complement the obtained information through observational assessment scales and personalize recovery therapies taking into account the data provided by each user in the performed tests.