Determination of the characteristic features of elderly gait for optimal posture recovery using robotic assistive devices

It is predicted that in the near future the age of the population will increase, leading to a larger number of people with mobility disabilities [1] [2] [3]. Different types of mobility aids, such as canes or walkers, are widely used, but their functionalities are limited and cannot fully replace the support given by a human carer. On the other hand, there aren’t enough professionals to take care of all elderly people, providing physical support may cause injuries to the carer, and having to depend on another person reduces the independence of the patients. For these reasons, the development of robotic mobility aids capable of providing cognitive and adaptive physical support is now a very active research field [4] [5] [6].