Projects / Programmes
Mechanisms underlying dynamic balancing during human walking
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.06.07 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Systems and cybernetics |
Biomedical technics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B115 |
Biomedical sciences |
Biomechanics, cybernetics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.06 |
Engineering and Technology |
Medical engineering
|
dynamic balancing, bipedal walking, perturbing pushes, muscle synergies, rehabilitation of walking
Researchers (8)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
50489 |
PhD David Kraljić |
Computer intensive methods and applications |
Researcher |
2017 |
25 |
| 2. |
14038 |
PhD Zlatko Matjačić |
Systems and cybernetics |
Head |
2017 - 2020 |
370 |
| 3. |
07134 |
PhD Marko Munih |
Systems and cybernetics |
Researcher |
2017 - 2020 |
724 |
| 4. |
24473 |
PhD Andrej Olenšek |
Systems and cybernetics |
Researcher |
2017 - 2020 |
113 |
| 5. |
51579 |
Jožica Piškur |
Manufacturing technologies and systems |
Researcher |
2018 |
7 |
| 6. |
25411 |
PhD Janez Podobnik |
Systems and cybernetics |
Researcher |
2017 - 2020 |
108 |
| 7. |
32077 |
PhD Matjaž Zadravec |
Systems and cybernetics |
Researcher |
2017 - 2020 |
72 |
| 8. |
51393 |
Aleš Zore |
Manufacturing technologies and systems |
Researcher |
2018 - 2020 |
6 |
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Maintaining dynamic balance during walking is immanent to movement of humans, however current knowledge on the organization of balancing responses during human walking is rather limited. Consequently the existing control of rehabilitation robots as well as the existing treatment protocols used in the rehabilitation is far from being optimal. The objective of this proposal is to systematically investigate balancing responses to perturbations delivered to the pelvis in sagittal and frontal planes during walking in healthy subjects as well as in selected cases of post-stroke subjects.
First, this will be done in a group of healthy individuals while walking on BAR-TM, the instrumented treadmill-based system with six degree of freedom pelvis robot. Three degrees of freedom (DOF) represented by translation of pelvis in the vertical direction and rotation of pelvis around the sagittal and lateral axis are passive while the remaining three DOFs represented by translation of pelvis in sagittal and lateral directions and rotation around the vertical axis are actuated and admittance-controlled. BAR-TM enables application of well-defined and repeatable perturbing impulses to the pelvis of a subject while walking on an instrumented treadmill. Particularly, we will investigate the hypothesis that dynamic balancing during straight walking is handled by proper utilization of several well-defined mechanisms (1. displacement of center-of-pressure - CoP; 2. stepping response - positioning of the swing leg to new stance position/orientation; 3. rotational movement of body segments affecting primarily horizontal components of ground reaction force - GRF) that depend on both walking speed and intensity, direction and timing of perturbation. The analysis will be based on the measurements of centre of mass (CoM), CoP, GRF and electromyography of the selected muscles following perturbing pushes to the pelvis.
Second, in the same group of healthy subjects during walking in BAR-OG (over ground mobile platform-based system with identical six degree of freedom pelvis robot as used in
BAR-TM), we will investigate dynamic balancing responses following perturbations during turning/walking in circle. As this part of the research will be done while walking over ground we will lack GRF and CoP measurements readily available on BAR-TM. Therefore, a new method based on detailed kinematic modeling approach utilizing inertial measurement unit (IMU) based sensory information will be developed for computation of GRF and CoP. The newly developed method will be validated on measurements during straight-line walking obtained from instrumented treadmill data and then applied to data assessed during perturbed over ground turning.
Third, dynamic balancing responses will be assessed in a series of selected cases of post-stroke subjects at their preferred speed and intensity of perturbation and compared to normative responses to elucidate specific aspects of dynamic balancing in hemiparesis during walking in straight-line and curved paths. By contrasting the results of each individual stroke case to the normative balancing responses obtained in a group of healthy individuals we will be able to discern the crucial differences between the normal and pathologic organization of postural responses and to identify important deficiencies in each individual stroke case.
Fourth, we will explore possibilities of using the newly generated knowledge to propose, implement and test novel subject-specific approaches toward efficient coordination and balance training in stroke population. Particular emphasis will be on direction-specific perturbation training and improving symmetry of walking as well as push-off capacity of the impaired leg. Three weeks of training with subject-specific approach based on the balancing responses obtained in each individual subject will be carried out to explore potential and effectiveness of the proposed treatment.
Significance for science
Area of advanced robots capabilities is high priority area of research in the field of robotics. It is also included in the EU program Horizon 2020. On the other hand the area of robotically-assisted neurological rehabilitation is a high-priority field of research in rehabilitation medicine. The project proposal is directed into both of these interdisciplinary research fields. From the state of the art it follows that our knowledge on the organization of balancing responses during human walking is rather limited and consequently that the existing control of rehabilitation robots as well as the existing treatment protocols are far from being optimal. The present project proposal will significantly contribute to the basic knowledge of biomechanical and neurophysiological processes that underlie organization of dynamic balancing responses in human walking. Further, the project will provide insight also into the nature of balancing responses during walking in post-stroke subjects. In this respect the results of the project will greatly contribute to expand our current understanding on the ways how rehabilitation robotics can be used optimally in neurological rehabilitation.
Gait training on a treadmill has become an integral and essential part of rehabilitation of patients suffering from neurological disorders (most notably from stroke). However, robotic devices currently used in rehabilitation practice are not suited to address the issues of overall dynamic balance during walking as the upper part of the body is harnessed during training of the lower extremities or must be in the case of use of wearable exoskeletons maintained by use of crutches. More importantly the cognitive aspects of walking that encompass movement planning and coordination related to starting/stopping movement changing speed of walking, turning in different directions during walking or turning in place, which are of crucial significance for truly independent and functional walking, not only in neurologically impaired but also in the elderly, are not addressed in current rehabilitation robotics.
The studies described this project proposal will improve our understanding on balance control in normal and pathological walking. It will provide unprecedented research into real world control issues that should have a high impact as advanced robotic rehabilitation technologies continue to move from the laboratory to the clinical and home environments. These and other results should merit publication in top quality peer reviewed journals and presentation at academic conferences contributing significantly to the visibility and promotion of Slovenian research excellence.
Significance for the country
Stroke is the third most common cause of death in Western society. In the European Union (EU), Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland an estimated 1.1 million new stroke events occur each year and currently 6 million subjects live in these countries having survived a stroke. Currently, direct and indirect costs in European countries during the first two years after stroke range from 5.000€ to 40.000€ per patient. A total annual cost of stroke in Europe of 21,895,000,000 € is estimated.
Often, stroke patients lack the sufficient autonomy to live an independent life. Activities of daily living are in many instances hard to achieve for a mild to severe stroke patients. Costs associated to caretaking in these situations are high and are expected to increase in the coming years. More importantly, stroke is seen by sufferers as a cause of social exclusion. All this leads to a new, large and growing potential market for user-centric solutions in rehabilitation after stroke. It is expected that the impact of the proposed project will contribute to controlling and reduction of these costs. In particular, the results of the project will lay strong foundation for development of financially sustainable solutions and therapeutic protocols that may considerably enhance the outcome of rehabilitation processes targeting specifically rehabilitation of functional mobility after stroke. Non-functional, slow and asymmetric walking makes most of post-stroke subjects being dependent in many activities of daily living which represents substantial burden to the families of stroke survivors and indirectly to the whole society. The novel aspects of the proposed research targeting at identification of balancing responses and development of subject-specific walking training have significant potential to advance the efficacy of robot-assisted rehabilitation.
Basic research results from this project will significantly broaden our knowledge on organization of balancing responses in a human which is relevant for development of new therapeutic approaches in neurological rehabilitation as well as in development of efficient balancing controllers for humanoid robots and exoskeletons. Due to an aging society, the rehabilitation market is one of the biggest growth markets in the health industry. As a direct economic exploitation of the proposed research activities patent-pending technology (BAR-TM and BAR-OG) will be the base for commercial exploitation of the knowledge generated within the project through licensing patent rights to renowned producer/distributor of rehabilitation robotics. Toward this end contacts have been developed with renowned producer and distributor of rehabilitation robotics medica Medizintechnik GmbH from Germany and its daughter company Thera Trainer d.o.o. from Slovenia that already expressed strong interest in commercialization of both devices.
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
