Gait Rehabilitation therapy using robot generated force fields applied at the pelvis

The Robotic Gait Rehabilitation (RGR) Trainer was designed and built to target secondary gait deviations in patients post - stroke. While patients ambulate on a treadmill, force fields are applied to the pelvis, which generate corrective forces as a response to deviations from normal pelvic motion. The device is coupled to the patient via an orthopedic brace, and a linear electromagnetic actuator provides power. Healthy human subject testing confirmed efficacy of the method to impart significant gait restoration forces as a response to abnormal pelvic obliquity (hip hiking). This novel approach to application of force fields using endpoint impedance controlled linear actuators takes into account patients' soft tissue dynamics.