Walking faster and farther with a soft robotic exosuit: Implications for post-stroke gait assistance and rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE

Soft robotic exosuits can improve the mechanics and energetics of walking after stroke. Building on this prior work, we evaluated the effects of the first prototype of a portable soft robotic exosuit.

METHODS

Exosuit-induced changes in the overground walking speed, distance, and energy expenditure of individuals post-stroke were evaluated statistically with alpha set to 0.05 and compared to minimal clinically important difference scores.

RESULTS

Compared to baseline walking without the exosuit worn, the 5kg exosuit did not substantially modify walking speed, distance, or energy expenditure when worn unpowered. In contrast, when the exosuit was powered on to provide an average 22.87±0.58 %bodyweight of plantarflexor force assistance during the paretic limb's stance phase and assist the paretic dorsiflexors during swing phase to reduce drop-foot, study participants walked a median 0.14±0.06 m/s faster during the 10-meter walk test and traveled 32±8 m farther during the six minute walk test.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals post-stroke can leverage the paretic plantarflexor and dorsiflexor assistance provided by soft robotic exosuits to achieve clinically-meaningful increases in speed and distance.