Background
Biofeedback is a technique one can use to control their behaviors or body functions. It’s commonly used in rehabilitation to incentivize volitional change and engage patients to better achieve the rehabilitation goals.
I have developed several biofeedback systems that can both work independently and along with assistive devices. For example, the step length biofeedback system aims to change users’ gait patterns to encourage a longer step, and the plantar-pressure biofeedback system aims to incentivize calf muscle activity. My colleagues and I have validated these systems in people with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
Purpose
1) Validate the feasibility of a real-time step length biofeedback mechanism to augment ankle exoskeleton-assisted walking performance in individuals with CP.
2) Validate the use of a plantar pressure biofeedback system to increase ankle plantar flexor engagement during walking in CP.