Development of a new rollator with a free rotating chest pad integrated with multiple sensors and investigation of its effectiveness on walk assistance

To avoid elderly people becoming bedridden and having dementia, walking independently at home is recommended as a daily activity. However, the effectiveness of most commercial gait-training devices has not been investigated thoroughly. In this study, a new rollator with a freely rotating chest pad integrated with two angular sensors and load cells was developed. Measurements were taken during a test of five young healthy students walking with the new rollator. A motion capture system with six CCD cameras was used to record leg movements during the walking tests with the new rollator. Results of the pressing forces measured by the load cells, angles of pad rotations, knee extensions, and heel heights were analyzed, and their relationships are discussed.