500 results about "Hand walking" patented technology

In one embodiment, a display unit to be mounted on a wrist of a user includes a display screen, a base, and at least one strap. The display unit is configured such that, when it is worn by the user, the display screen is oriented at an angle with respect to a surface of the user's wrist. In another embodiment, visually-perceptible information indicative of determined values of the instantaneous pace of a user and the average pace of the user are displayed, simultaneously. In another embodiment, visually-perceptible information indicative of the determined values of the at least one variable physiological parameter of the user and the at least one performance parameter of the user are displayed, simultaneously.

In one embodiment, a method includes steps of: (a) identifying an average foot contact time of a user during a first outing; (b) identifying an average pace of the user during the first outing; (c) defining a relationship between foot contact times of the user and corresponding paces of the user, wherein the relationship is based upon the average foot contact time and the average pace identified during the first outing, and wherein no other average foot contact times and no other average paces identified during any different outings by the user are used to define the relationship; and (d) calibrating at least one device that monitors activity of the user in locomotion on foot based upon the defined relationship between foot contact times of the user and corresponding paces of the user. In another embodiment, a method includes steps of: (a) determining a single user-specific calibration constant that defines a relationship between foot contact times of a user and corresponding paces of the user, wherein no other user-specific calibration constants are used to define the relationship; and (b) calibrating at least one device that monitors activity of the user in locomotion on foot based upon the relationship between foot contact times of the user and corresponding paces of the user that is defined by the single user-specific calibration constant.

A footwear construction including a sole and an adjustable heel element selectively rotatable about an axis of rotation to configure the heel element in a fitness mode or a stability mode. The heel element can include a ground contacting surface having a first performance contour and a second, different performance contour. In the fitness mode, the first performance contour is positioned rearward of the second performance contour to provide a rolling / rocking motion when the heel region of the footwear engages a walking surface in a gait cycle. In the stability mode, the second performance contour is positioned rearward of the first performance contour to provide a stable impact when the heel region engages a walking surface. The footwear can include an actuator to enable the heel element to rotate and locking elements to hold the heel element in a fixed rotational position. A related method of use also is provided.

A personal emergency response system employs a structured terminology of body activities. Measurements of primary body activities using accelerometers, heart-bit monitors, etc. are converted to secondary and tertiary level body activities such as walk and fall, further sequenced and combined to determine a personal condition such as walk, stumble and fall, and to identify sequences of such conditions. The structured terminology enables a language supporting a functional description of body activities associated with physical and physiological measurements and enables a machine to understand physical activities.

The invention relates to a system and a method for assessment of walking and miming gait in human. The method is preferably based on the fusion of a portable device featuring inertial sensors and several new dedicated signal processing algorithms: the detection of specific temporal events and parameters, 5 optimized fusion and de-drifted integration of inertial signals, automatic and online virtual alignment of sensors module, 3D foot kinematics estimation, a kinematic model for automatic online heel and toe position estimation, and finally the extraction of relevant and clinically meaning-full outcome parameters. Advantageously including at least one wireless inertial module attached to foot, the system provides common spatio-temporal parameters (gait cycle time, stride length, and stride velocity), with the 10 advantage of being able to work in unconstrained condition such as during turning or running. It furthermore may provide original parameters for each gait cycle, both temporal (load, foot-flat and push duration) and spatial (foot clearance and turning angle), and their inter-cycles variability. The system and method according to the invention allows the assessment of various aspects of gait which have shown recently to be of premium importance in research and clinical field, including foot clearance, 15 turns, gait initiation and termination, running, or gait variability. The system may be light weight, easy to wear and use, and suitable for any application requiring objective and quantitative evaluation of gait without heavy laboratory settings.

A walking rehabilitation and exercise machine in the form of an elliptical style machine closely replicates the mechanical foot motions of walking, while incorporating hand motion to help a disabled or injured person retrain muscles in a proper walking gait and improve physical fitness. The device includes an electrically adjustable seat, independent left or right electrically adjustable stride and an electric flywheel drive to assist the operator.

A device configured to provide biofeedback on arm swing during walking, running, or other movement activities is disclosed herein. The device includes motion sensing means configured to sense the motion of an arm of a user during a movement activity and output one or more signals based upon the sensed arm motion; computational means configured to compute an arm swing angle of the arm of the user using the one or more signals outputted by the motion sensing means; and one or more signaling devices operatively coupled to the motion sensing means and computational means, the one or more signaling devices configured to emit one or more signals to the user that are based upon the computed arm swing angle of the user so as to provide biofeedback to the user regarding arm swing. The use of two devices, one on each arm of a user is also disclosed herein.

A shoes system for walk diagnosis using an insole sheet for walk diagnosis includes shoes for walk diagnosis including a PCB installation groove having a stepped groove at one upper side of an insole to mount a system for detecting a gait, a cover attached onto the insole, a pressure detection sheet placed on the cover to generate a switching signal corresponding to a pressure applied by a walker, and a circuit unit that is installed in the PCB installation groove, is connected to a connecting unit of the pressure detection sheet, accumulates and manages signals detected from the connecting part for each time slot, supplies wireless power to the system, and wirelessly transmits data corresponding to walk information, and a charging stage including a mounting panel for mounting the shoes for walk diagnosis.

A combination single unit hydrotherapy and exercise device for allowing multiple exercises including both swimming and running in place, massage, and therapy, having a single seamless enclosure with stairs, and sufficiently long and deep for an adult to swim and stand in, a cavity with treadmill at the bottom with safety walk off ledge, external motor means connected to the treadmill shaft inside the enclosure, swim jets in the front to provide resistance to allow swimming in place, control and safety buttons at the top, treadmill impact absorption means, treadmill adjustment means from above the treadmill, and cavity next to the treadmill cavity for accessing the shaft.

To provide a walking assist device which can apply torque to a knee joint at a suitable timing. A walking assist device includes an actuator, a reaction force sensor and an angle sensor. The walking assist device is fitted to a user's leg. The actuator is able to apply torque to a knee joint of one leg of the user. The reaction force sensor detects a reaction force that the foot of the one leg receives from the floor. The angle sensor detects a hip joint angle of the one leg around a pitch axis. The walking assist device specifies a timing to start applying the torque to the knee joint in a direction that swings the lower leg backward, based on the detected reaction force and the detected hip joint angle.

An electromotive walking assistance device includes a drive unit including a plurality of wheels and a motor for driving at least on portion of the plurality of wheels, a sensor unit sensing a distance from a user, a manipulation unit sensing a user's manipulation, and a controller controlling the motor based on a signal of the distance from the user and a signal of the user's manipulation.

The invention provides biped walking parameter measurement and belongs to the technical field of robots. A biped walking parameter measuring apparatus is provided and comprises a zero moment point measuring system, a foot contour measuring system and a walking parameter calculating system. A biped walking parameter measuring method provided can accurately and effectively measure biped walking parameters including stand state parameter before walking, step, step period, zero moment point track, and the contours of feet contacting the ground. The method for measuring biped walking parameters of a human being is of great importance to analysis of walking gaits of the human being, thereby providing important basis for planning track of a biped robot. The method is used for measuring the walking parameters of a biped robot, and feedback parameters of biped robot walking gaits, walking track on-line adjusting, and enclosed control of a host computer and each joint of leg portions are provided. The method is of great significance to stable walking of a biped robot.

Provided is a walking motion assisting device capable of assisting a leg of an agent in walking motion to alleviate an assisting burden or eliminate an assisting necessity by a caregiver. According to the walking motion assisting device (1), the value of a persistent energy input term (ζ0) contained in a simultaneous differential equation denoting a second model configured to generate a second motion oscillator (φ1) is adjusted so as to limit a landing position (x) of a leg of the agent in a specified range [x1, x2]. Further, the motion state of the leg is recognized on the basis of a variation mode of a second oscillator (ξ2), and on the basis of the recognition result, the relative motion between the thigh and crus of the leg around the knee joint is assisted.

Universal sole designed to help a user adapt his walking or running gait to the surface over which he is moving or to the peculiarities of his individual leg / foot System by individually adjusting the hardness and thickness of several areas of the sole. Each area consists of one or more layers of a flat coil of elastic extensible airtight and optionally reinforced rubber tube which may be flattened or inflated beyond its nominal diameter as a function of the pressure introduced by the action, as the user walks, of a small pump located inside the sole underneath the user's heel and adjustments and isolations performed manually with a System of valves built into the thickness of the sole. The coils, the valve System and the pumping System are either located and bonded between layers of foam containing the impression of the coils and filling the spaces between laces or placed in a mould or in a sole in the shape of a boat, a filling material then being introduced to fill the empty spaces. The resulting soles or sole elements can be used on ail kinds of shoes.

A device for adjusting the height of and relief force acting on a weight is especially provided to be used for walking therapy of paraparetic or hemiparetic patients within a locomotion training means. Said weight of the patient is supported by a cable. A first cable length adjustment means provides an adjustment of the length of the cable to define the height of said suspended weight. A second cable length adjustment means provides an adjustment of the length of the cable to define the relief force acting on the suspended weight. This allows a quick and reliable determination and adjustment of the height for different patients and of the relief force within the training program of every patient.

A weight lifting system wherein shoes of substantially normal fit and construction have additional parts that are designed to attach to and detach from corresponding hardware on weights and weight holding devices, and the additional parts on the shoes will not interfere with walking or other exercises or with the normal function of the shoe. Structural support for the added parts is embedded in the sole of the shoe where it will be unnoticeable by the user. The hardware works quickly and easily and a plurality of different weights is preferred with the net result being that the user can quickly and easily pick up and put down weights with their feet, change the amount of weight, and change weights from foot to foot and, hence, can easily move from one exercise to another, and there is no need to remove the shoes when performing other exercises.

A sensor unit installed in a premises for detecting a user's walking behavior. Connected to the server through a communication network are a server, an information reporting unit, and an exercise machine. The server includes a diagnosis section for analyzing time series data of walking signal from the sensor unit to determine walking ability and generate walking ability data indicative thereof, and an information providing section which provides the walking ability date to the information reporting unit and the exercise machine. The information reporting unit includes reporting means for reporting the determined walking ability to the user. The exercise machine includes a control section which gives an exercise to the user depending upon the walking ability.

An exercise treadmill having an endless moveable surface looped around rollers or pulleys to form an upper run and a lower run, the movable surface being rotated when one of the rollers or pulleys is rotated, and an exercise surface for walking or running while exercising, a weight resistance mechanism for providing a weight resistance for simulating the dragging or pulling of a load, wherein the weight resistance can be adjusted and set to a specific weight resistance setting; a movable hand controller operatively attached to the weight resistance mechanism for operating and controlling the exercise treadmill and the weight resistance mechanism, wherein the endless movable surface moves in a direction simulating walking or running backwards, and wherein the weight resistance mechanism applies a constant and static force to the hand controller generally only in the same as the direction the endless movable surface moves and opposite a pulling direction, whereby operation of the treadmill simulates the dragging or pulling of a load by a combination of the actuation of the weight resistance mechanism to simulate the load and the walking or running backwards to provide the dragging or pulling action.

A multifunctional walking stick includes a telescopic stem having an adjustable handle and an interchangeable base. A modular safety device is detachably attached to the stem. The modular safety device includes a dog deterrent device, an audible alarm device and a location tracer device. The dog deterrent device can issue inaudible ultrasonic sound to deter barking dogs from a user. The interchangeable base can receive different selectable base bottoms for different activities i.e. walking, hiking, etc. The multifunctional walking stick also includes a compass, a flare compartment and a shock absorber for reducing vibrations caused by a walking surface.

A walking training system according to the present invention includes a belt conveyor on which a trainee walks, a frame, a sensor, and a control device. The frame, positioned on both sides of the belt conveyor, allows an assistant to place each of the feet thereon. The sensor measures the presence state of a foot on the frame. The control device determines whether there are three or more feet on the frame based on the measurement result of the sensor and, if it is determined that there are three or more feet, performs abnormal-time control.

A support, exercise and rehabilitation apparatus designed to facilitate walking with a normal gait to promote a natural, upright walking motion. The apparatus includes two main portions, a handle assembly comprising a shaft, and a rotational or rocker base. The shaft adjusts to various heights and locks securely with a polymer, metal or composite lock-nut silencer. The rocker base contains a non-slip tread and a wide base to absorbs more weight and shock and disperses both over a wider area and thus moves with the user as the user moves forward, offering greater support.

The retractable foot gear 10 includes a sole 12 and a retractable wheel, ball, blade, or similar low friction element 16 which normally projects from a recess formed into the shoe's sole 12. The low friction element 16 retracts into a recess 14 when a predetermined amount of force is exerted on the low friction element 16. The low friction element 16 is additionally biased so as to automatically return to an extended position when the predetermined force is relieved. The retractable foot gear 10 assists persons with difficulty in walking, standing, or maneuvering. Moreover, the protruding low friction element enables one to slide one foot along a walking surface while minimizing the tendency of one to slip and fall.

The present invention relates to a system and a method for controlling a joint angle of a knee-joint type walking training robot which estimates a walking stage of a person receiving rehabilitation for walking and actively responds to the walking stage on the basis thereof. The present invention can easily control the joint angle of the knee-joint type walking training robot by providing a configuration comprising: a pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure on the sole of a walker's foot by using a pressure sensor; and a joint angle estimating device for estimating the joint angle of a knee-joint by extracting movement time of the walk and the length of the part of the sole contacting the ground on the basis of the sole's pressure measured by the pressure measuring device.

An ankle-foot prosthesis includes a foot plate, an ankle frame attached to the foot plate, a yoke pivotally connected to the ankle frame and including a member for attaching to a leg, a damper having a first end connected to the yoke and a second end connected to the ankle frame, and a control mechanism for switching the damper between low and high settings.

A shoe midsole ( 1 ) for shoes with exceptional walking comfort, eg hiking shoes. The shoe midsole is provided with a shock absorber ( 6 ) in its heel zone ( 4 ) and a bead ( 8 ) behind and adjacent the heel zone, said bead completely or partially following a U-shape and forming a side support for the heel of the wearer. The sole is flexible about at least two slightly curved bending lines ( 12,14 ), which are inclined relative to the longitudinal axis ( 10 ) of the sole, said lines being defined by channels or grooves ( 12,14 ) in the sole material. The bending lines do not intersect each other and their cavities face away from each other. The sole ( 1 ) has a particularly elastic portion ( 16 ) of a hand-like shape with at least two finger-shaped zones ( 18 a ,18 b ,18 c) pointing towards the toe end ( 30 ) of the midsole. As a result the shoe midsole offers a considerable degree of flexibility during the wearer's walking motion. More readily than known it conforms to the organic tissue of the wearer's foot in motion such that the shoe, of which the sole is to be part, is particularly comfortable to use for walking.