Gait in Parkinson's disease is characterised by slowed velocity; shuffling, small steps; and absent arm swing. Drug therapy intervention is beneficial in improving mobility, though with prolonged use its effects may diminish. The purpose of this study was to examine whether Parkinsonian patients could improve their gait patterns in response to five instructional sets: natural walking; walking w...

This technical report describes ongoing research into the development of a robotic mobility aid (PAM-AID) for people with a visually impairment who also require support during walking. These disabilities coincide most often in the elderly and as the elderly constitute almost two thirds of all blind people (due to the fact that blindness occurs most often in the over 65's) we feel that this atte...

This technical report describes ongoing research into the development of a robotic mobility aid (PAM-AID) for people with a visually impairment who also require support during walking. These disabilities coincide most often in the elderly and as the elderly constitute almost two thirds of all blind people (due to the fact that blindness occurs most often in the over 65's) we feel that this atte...

BACKGROUND Because individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) avoid physical activities that exacerbate symptoms, potentially increasing risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death, we assessed the relationship between OA disability and these outcomes. METHODS In a population cohort aged 55+ years with at least moderately severe symptomatic hip and/or knee OA, OA disability (Western Ontario McM...

BACKGROUND The rollator is a very popular walking aid. However, knowledge about how a rollator affects the walking patterns is limited. Thus, the purpose of the study was to investigate the biomechanical effects of walking with and without a rollator on the walking pattern in healthy subjects. METHODS The walking pattern during walking with and without rollator was analyzed using a three-dime...

This paper describes the preliminary design of a light, high stability, robotic system for elderly assistance. The mechanisms used for such assisting devices must exhibit complex mechanical functions that may change during the use. The design has also to be adapted to the morphology and/or pathology. Taking these constraints into account, the design of a robotic walker is presented which provid...