Body Weight Support Devices for Overground Gait and Balance Training
A. Pennycott (TU Delft - Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Control)
Heike Vallery (TU Delft - Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Control)
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Abstract
Regaining the ability to walk overground, to climb stairs and to perform
other functional tasks such as standing up and sitting down are
important rehabilitation goals following neurological injury or disease.
However, these activities are often difficult to practice safely for
patients with severe impairments due to the risk of injury, not only to
the patient but also to therapists. The emergence of various
technologies that provide a degree of body weight support can play a
role in rehabilitation focused on recovering overground gait and balance
functions. These can greatly reduce the risk of falls and thus allow
more intense and longer training sessions. Therefore, the systems
empower individuals with the ability to practice the types of activities
and functions they need in order to return home and to be reintegrated
into the community as much as possible. This chapter explores the origin
of body weight supported devices and considers which groups could
derive benefit from the training. An overview of the main training
platforms available today—which comprise both robotic and non-robotic
technologies—is then provided, followed by a discussion regarding
outcomes of the devices thus far and possible future directions of the
technology.