Gait Adaptation to Asymmetric Hip Stiffness Applied by a Robotic Exoskeleton

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Neuroscience
• Robotics

Background:

• Wearable exoskeletons offer potential for gait rehabilitation, particularly for interlimb asymmetry.
• Understanding the neural adaptation induced by exoskeletons is crucial for effective gait retraining.
• Split-belt treadmill training is a known method for inducing gait adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neural adaptation to bilateral asymmetric joint stiffness from a hip exoskeleton.
• To compare exoskeleton-induced adaptation with split-belt treadmill training effects.
• To assess the potential of hip exoskeletons for retraining symmetric gait.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen unimpaired individuals walked on a treadmill with a hip exoskeleton.
• The exoskeleton applied asymmetric joint stiffness: positive on the right, negative on the left.
• Spatiotemporal and kinetic gait parameters were measured.

Main Results:

• The hip exoskeleton intervention induced gait adaptations similar to split-belt treadmill training.
• Adaptations were observed in spatiotemporal and kinetic gait measures.
• Individuals showed modified walking patterns in response to the asymmetric stiffness.

Conclusions:

• Hip exoskeletons can effectively elicit neural adaptations for gait retraining.
• The proposed exoskeleton intervention shows promise for correcting interlimb asymmetry.
• Exoskeletons provide a viable alternative to split-belt treadmills for gait rehabilitation.