Changes in Distance between a Wearable Robotic Exoskeleton User and Four-Wheeled Walker during Gait in Level and Slope Conditions: Implications for Fall Prevention Systems

When walking with wearable robotic exoskeletons (WRE) in people with spinal cord injury, the distance between the user and the walker is one of the most important perspectives for ensuring safety. The purpose of this study was to clarify the distance between WRE users and four-wheeled walkers (4WW) while walking on level and sloping surfaces. To eliminate the effects of variation in neurological conditions, 12 healthy subjects participated. All participants ambulated using the WRE and the 4WW on level and sloping surfaces. The outcomes were the mean distances between the WRE users and the 4WWs in the level and slope conditions. To examine the influence of uphill and downhill slopes on distance, comparisons were conducted between the uphill or downhill conditions and the respective transitional periods. In the uphill condition, the mean distances were significantly greater than that in the level condition. Conversely, the mean distance moving downhill was significantly shorter than that in the level condition. Changes in the distance between the WRE user and the 4WW might increase the risk of falling forward on an uphill slope and backward on a downhill slope. This study’s results will assist in developing a new feedback system to prevent falls.