RECRUITING!

Study Title: Evaluating Adaptation to an Assistive Ankle Exoskeleton Device

University of California, Irvine
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Rehabilitation and Augmentation Lab

Purpose: The long-term goal of our work is to identify the sensorimotor mechanisms responsible for learning how to use wearable robotic devices. With an improved understanding of how people learn to use assistive devices, we aim to improve gait training and rehabilitation approaches.

Summary: In this experiment, participants are asked to come into the Rehabilitation and Augmentation Lab, located in the Engineering Gateway Building, at the University of California, Irvine. Participants will be asked to walk on a treadmill while wearing an ankle exoskeleton on one of their legs. We will place sensors on your legs to record how you walk, as well as your muscle activity. You will also be asked to wear a mask over your head to measure your breathing. Experiments may last up to 4 hours, including up to 120 minutes of total walking with breaks.

Eligibility criteria:

• Between 18-65 years of age
• Can walk on a treadmill
• Can walk for 15min continuously, and up to 120minutes with breaks
• Can understand instructions in English
• Nave no neurological or cardiovascular conditions which may affect balance

Benefits: Taking part in this study may or may not improve your walking and balance. While the research team hopes that training with the assistive devices improves your motor learning abilities, there is no guarantee of this occurring. This study will help researchers learn more about motor learning mechanisms that can be improved by wearable robotic devices for better gait training and rehabilitation. It is hoped that information from this study will lead to improved technologies for individuals with disabilities affecting locomotion. Improved robotic device technology may be developed as a result of this study, which might, at some point in the future, result in better commercial exoskeleton products available for you to purchase.

Compensation: Participants will be compensated $15/hour for their participation.

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to:

Sara Meschi (smeschi@uci.edu)