Gait measurement system to develop control model of intelligently controllable ankle-foot orthosis

We have developed intelligently controllable ankle-foot orthoses (i-AFO). In a previous report, we discovered that the rotational velocities of planter flexion in the initial phase of gait correlate with the walking speeds of a patient suffering from flaccid paralysis in his ankles. This fact has a potential to be used as a control model of the i-AFO. In order to confirm this fact for more numbers of subjects, we conducted gait experiments for healthy subjects. We developed a new measurement system that can realize (1) the phase detection of gait, (2) measurement of ankle angle, (3) that of step length, and (4) that of stride width, simultaneously. Experimental results show that periods of initial contact to foot flat doesn't correlate with walking speeds. Additionally, the rotational velocities of planter flexion of foot in the initial phase of gait depend on the walking speeds.