Investigation of gait cycle deviation over surface irregularities utilizing muscle activities

Human beings regularly walk over even and uneven surfaces during their daily activities. A human being with lower limb disability needs an exoskeleton to walk independently. However, walking surface irregularities increase the risk of falling of exoskeleton users. This falling tendency can be minimized by balancing the exoskeleton on irregular surface profiles against the gait cycle variation. Gait variation is studied using quality EMG signals obtained from the gastrocnemius and hamstring muscle activity during uneven surface walking.

The present study compares the activity of hamstring and gastrocnemius muscles during walking on a treadmill, utilizing both even and uneven planes.

Integrated electromyography signals from eight healthy male subjects are collected while walking on a treadmill, even and uneven planes. Muscle activity variation on these planes is studied using two-way ANOVA with replications.

The results show that hamstring muscle activity registers a sound variation in swing phase but has no variation in stance phase over all three planes, whereas gastrocnemius muscle activity changes between swing and stance phases over even and uneven planes during forward walking.

The results illustrate that the gait cycle variation depends on surface irregularities which indicates the importance of surface consideration.