[Gait Measurement System Using Laser Range Sensor Based on Lower-limb Rehabilitation Robot]

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Gait Analysis

Background:

• Spatiotemporal gait parameters are crucial for gait dysfunction rehabilitation.
• Current measurement systems (optical motion capture, pressure plates) are costly and impractical for robotic applications.
• There is a need for accessible and integrated gait measurement solutions for lower-limb rehabilitation robots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel gait measurement system using a LIDAR sensor for lower-limb rehabilitation robots.
• To enable accurate and reliable measurement of spatiotemporal gait parameters within a robotic rehabilitation setting.
• To overcome the limitations of existing gait analysis systems in terms of cost, size, and wearability.

Main Methods:

• A gait measurement system was developed using a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) laser sensor integrated with a lower-limb rehabilitation robot.
• Leg data were clustered to identify left and right legs, with contours fitted using a circle-fitting algorithm (least squares method).
• Spatiotemporal gait parameters were calculated based on initial contact (IC) and toe-off (TO) events.

Main Results:

• The proposed LIDAR-based system successfully measured spatiotemporal gait parameters.
• Comparison with a 3D motion capture system demonstrated a small range of error, validating the system's accuracy.
• The system proved to be a reliable method for gait parameter measurement in the context of lower-limb rehabilitation.

Conclusions:

• The developed LIDAR-based gait measurement system is a valid and reliable tool for assessing spatiotemporal gait parameters.
• This system offers a practical solution for gait analysis within lower-limb rehabilitation robots.
• The findings support the integration of LIDAR technology for enhanced gait rehabilitation monitoring.