Development of a Holonomic Robotic Wheeled Walker for Persons with Gait Disorder

Gait disorder is a deviation from the smooth and normal walking pattern. Loss of balance which greatly contributes to fall, a prevalent cause of reduced life expectancy and premature death of aging persons, is closely related to a disordered gait. Augmentative assistive mobility devices such as canes, crutches and walkers, have been employed in the rehabilitation of gait dysfunction and other mobility impairments. The rate of abandonment of these devices due to difficulty and cumbersomeness in their usage has recently directed the focus of researchers in the area of design of robotic walkers. This paper presents a review of the different existing literatures in the area of the dynamic model of wheeled mobile robot, human-robot interface design, and control algorithm formulation for assistive mobility tasks as it relates to holonomic robotic walker design.