Investigation of biomechanical parameters of walking in the exoskeleton in patients with complete lower palsy

Abstract

Development of exoskeleton as assistive and rehabilitation equipment for people with the locomotor disturbances has become a world tendency.1,2–8 Application of exoskeletons in patients with locomotor disturbances demands instrumental estimation of walking parameters. A number of the necessary primary parameters of walking and corresponding methods of investigations have been formed in the world biomechanics, namely, biomechanical, energetic and electromyographic. The following methods belong to the biomechanical ones: podometry, goniometry, and dynamometry, which record correspondingly the temporal, kinematic and dynamic parameters of walking. Investigation of the energetic parameters of walking supposes estimation of the energy expenditures by means of a method of mathematic modeling. At last, investigation of the electromyographic parameters supposes recording the electrical activity of muscles during the locomotor cycle, so called EMGpattern of muscles. 9