Intelligent and Adaptive Control Applied to Powered Walkers
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The research is towards an advanced control and computer learning strategy that will intelligently drive a powered walker for people with walking disabilities. The aim of the control strategy is to provide powered assistance that optimally reduces the metabolic cost of walking. The goal of the proposed intelligent walker is to reduce the workload of walking, keeping this population walking longer, providing critical exercise, continued muscle development and improved quality of life.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: SurePace Powered Walker User Before any formal experiments are conducted, participants will be given an opportunity to "train" with the new powered walker for a pre-defined period of time to eliminate the confounding effects of being unfamiliar with using the device. (See the description of UVA's facilities and Protection of Human Subjects document for additional discussion of safety measures/protocols and Institutional Review Board procedures.) Experiments will consist of one-hour sessions (with adequate rest periods between trials and time for evaluations) in which participants will be asked to walk at a self-selected (comfortable) walking speed through a pre-defined 8 m x 4 m oval course. |
Device: SurePace Powered Walker User
Participants will be asked to perform one baseline 5-minute trial with the lab's instrumented walker in passive mode (no powered locomotion) and two 5-minute trials with the walker in active mode (powered locomotion).
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Metabolic Cost (oxygen consumption) [Five minutes]
Oxygen consumption data will be collected with a Oxycon Mobile (VIASYS Healthcare Inc.) portable indirect calorimetry system.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Typically developed subjects:
• No walking disabilities
Subjects with CP:
-
Diagnosed with spastic CP
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GMFCS level II-III
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Ages 5-25 inclusive
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No surgeries in last 6 months
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Able to ambulate 40ft unaided (excluding walker)
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Understand and follow commands
Exclusion Criteria:
Typically developed subjects:
• Observed intramuscular pathology
Subjects with CP:
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Mental retardation
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Severe uncontrolled seizures
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Leg or foot surgery in last 12 months
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Surgery or significant injury in last 6 months affecting
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walking ability
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Inability to ambulate unassisted (other than walker) 40ft
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without stopping to rest
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Inability to understand or follow commands
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Virginia Motion Analysis and Motor Performance Lab | Charlottesville | Virginia | United States | 22903 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Barron Associates, Inc.
- University of Virginia
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Jason Burkholder, Ph.D., Barron Associates, Inc.
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- SurePace1
- 2R44HD082863-02