Walk Assist Device to Improve Community Ambulation

The goal of this research study was to examine the immediate effectiveness of a prototype wearable robotic stride management assist device (SMA) designed by Honda R\&D on clinical walking performance, walking energetics, gait kinematics and corticospinal excitability in individuals with stroke. The SMA assists walking by providing a flexion and extension torque assist at the hip joint. The subjects in this study are asked to perform two sets of experiments: one set with the device on and one set with the device turned off. The order in which the subjects performed these sets of experiments is selected randomly. Each set of experiments includes over-ground walking speed and endurance tests, a graded treadmill test with metabolic measures, motion capture and force treadmill analysis, and measures of corticospinal drive using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The primary outcome to be measured is change in self-selected walking speed with the device on, the secondary outcome measures include metabolic, corticospinal and biomechanical analysis.