Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
08:40
Quantifying Arms and Legs Contributions during Repetitive Electrically-Assisted Sit-To-Stand Exercise in Paraplegics: A Pilot Study
Published on: November 11, 2022
A method for paraplegic upper-body posture estimation during standing: a pilot study for rehabilitation purposes
Gaël Pages1, Nacim Ramdani, Philippe Fraisse
1INRIA-LIRMM, Montpellier, France. gael.pages@ibs.fr
Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing
|March 12, 2009
Summary
This study introduces a new method to estimate body posture for paraplegia patients using functional electrical stimulation (FES). This research helps develop better closed-loop control systems for restoring standing ability.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Robotics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Functional electrical stimulation (FES) for paraplegia often uses open-loop control, requiring empirical tuning of stimulus intensity.
- Restoring standing ability in paraplegia is a significant challenge, necessitating advanced control strategies.
- Understanding the relationship between upper body movement and posture is crucial for closed-loop FES control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between body posture and voluntary upper body movements in paraplegia.
- To propose and validate a methodology for estimating body posture in the sagittal plane during FES-assisted standing.
- To develop a foundation for efficient closed-loop control systems for restoring standing in paraplegia.
Main Methods:
- Utilized force measurements from supporting handles during standing tasks.
- Developed a two-dimensional closed-chain model incorporating geometric constraints and hand-handle interactions.
- Employed interval analysis to solve the set membership estimation problem under bounded, unknown uncertainty.
- Computed guaranteed uncertainty bounds for estimated body postures.
Main Results:
- Successfully estimated body posture in the sagittal plane using force measurements and a closed-chain model.
- Quantified posture estimation with guaranteed uncertainty bounds, accounting for unknown measurement uncertainties.
- Demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed methodology through experiments with spinal cord injured patients.
Conclusions:
- The proposed methodology provides a robust approach for estimating body posture during FES-assisted standing in paraplegia.
- This work contributes to the development of closed-loop control systems for improved FES applications.
- Further research can leverage these findings to enhance functional recovery and independence for individuals with paraplegia.
