Authors

  1. Firouzi, Mahyar MSc
  2. De Keersmaec, Emma Sc
  3. Lefeber, Nina PhD
  4. Roggeman, Stijn MD
  5. Joos, Erika MD
  6. Kerckhofs, Eric PhD
  7. Beckwee, David PhD
  8. Swinnen, Eva PhD

Abstract

We compared changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters of 11 healthy older adults (mean age: 88.6 years) over 3 conditions of walking with the Honda Walking Assist (HWA), a hip-assistive exoskeleton. Differences in 14 gait parameters between (1) normal overground walking, (2) walking with a nonassisting HWA, and (3) optimally assisting HWA were analyzed using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Significant differences depending on type of assistance were found for 9 parameters. None persisted following Bonferroni corrections. Single-session individualized HWA assistance does not induce immediate changes in gait parameters. This does not contradict the potential of multiple training sessions with the HWA.