Ergonomic proposals for the development of robot-assisted gait training devices

Neurological gait disturbances require long-term gait rehabilitation. According to existing research results, robot-assisted gait training devices are designed to improve patient’s walking capabilities and to eliminate the operator's physical overloading. The aim of this paper is to present an ergonomic analysis of commercially available robot-assisted gait training devices, including both the operators and patients postures during robot-assisted gait training therapy. This ergonomics analysis was performed on the Hocoma’s Lokomat Pro, involving five randomly chosen device's operators and ten adult and children patients who received gait therapies on the day of the experiment. Both evaluators concluded that the most problematic points, from aspects of safety and fatigue for the operators, were the preparation process of the device, device adjustments to each patient individually, and the noise produced by the device. Subsquently patients mostly struggled with the device's ramp and uncomfortable harness. It was noted that although the Lokomat Pro is the most widely used robot-assisted gait training device with many advantages that contribute to improved patient ́s gait capacities, like in every medical device, there is always room for improvement. Research and development of robot-assisted gait training devices is a long-term process requiring multidisciplinary cooperation. The cooperation represents an enriching experience for a whole team of specialists and ensures that the product meets the criteria for the end-users.