NETHERLANDS: Researcher develop a robot that helps stroke survivors re-learn how to walk

Record ID: 401809

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: Researcher develop a robot that helps stroke survivors re-learn how to walk
  • Date: 28th November 2011
  • Summary: ENSCHEDE, THE NETHERLANDS (RECENT) (REUTERS) EDWIN VAN ASSELDONK, RESEARCHER AT UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE, PREPARING A PATIENT PETRA HES FOR EXOSKELETON TRAINING ASSELDONK STRAPPING THE PATIENT TO THE ROBOT (SOUNDBITE) (English), RESEARCHER AT UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE, EDWIN VAN ASSELDONK, SAYING: "LOPES is a robotic gain training device, it's designed to aide physical therapi
  • Embargoed: 13th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Netherlands, Netherlands
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Health,Science
  • Reuters ID: LVAE75IACCQTHS1XKYA4KJ9H3GZW
  • Story Text: In the eastern Dutch city of Enschede scientists have developed a robot called the Lower Extremity Powered ExoSkeleton, or LOPES, which is designed to help training the body and the mind of neurological patients to remember how to walk again after a stroke or a spinal injury.
    LOPES prototype is being used by neurological patients in the University of Twente where it was developed, but will be moved next year to a Dutch rehabilitation centre, where more patients can have access to it.
    Petra Hes has suffered a stroke at the age of 17. Since then she mostly recovered, but remained unable to lift her left leg enough to walk straight. LOPES has made her remember how it feels to walk properly again.
    "I feel my knee is lifting, machine is lifting my knee and that's quite different then my usual walk, cause my knee is very stiff and my steps are not too high then, so I am walking very asymmetric and first time I walked into the LOPES, it was, we call it "A-Ha" moment - so that is how it feels when you walk normal again! I can't remember it," Hes told Reuters strapped to the robot.
    Although robot legs are designed to aid physiotherapy, robot can do all the walking for the patient, or it can give support to one leg only, or to any movement associated with walking. It can also detect what is patient doing wrong. Unlike any other existing robotic devices, LOPES can walk sideways as well, which is important for the balance of a patient training.
    "What you can see is that the patient is able to move from left to right, or sideways and that is quite distinct from other devices that are around, but this is necessary if you really want to train walking because for walking it's also very important that you maintain your balance while walking and in maintaining balance pretty much what you need is to place your foot on appropriate spot to prevent falling over and by making that movement possible in this device it is also possible to train that balance control while you are walking," van Asseldonk explained.
    In the near future, Asseldonk hopes to use the knowledge gathered from LOPES to develop a wearable exoskeleton which could be used by people in wheelchairs to walk on the street again.
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