Gait rehabilitation for stair climbing with a locomotion interface

This paper describes the development of a gait rehabilitation system with a locomotion interface (LI). The LI consists of two 2 DOF manipulators equipped with footpads. These can move the user's feet while his or her body remains stationary. The footpads follow the prerecorded motion of the feet of a healthy individual. For gait training, the user progresses iteratively through successively more advanced modes. In this study, three modes, enforced stair climbing, semi-voluntary stair climbing, and real stair climbing were used. Comparisons were made between the modes for healthy individuals and a patient. The effectiveness of the system was examined using NIRS and foot pressure distribution data.