A Framework for Measuring the Progress in Exoskeleton Skills in People with Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

ABSTRACT: For safe application of exoskeletons in people with spinal cord injury at home or in the community, it is required to have completed an exoskeleton training in which users learn to perform basic and advanced skills. So far, a framework to test exoskeleton skills is lacking. The aim of this study was to develop and test the hierarchy and reliability of a framework for measuring the progress in the ability to perform basic and advanced skills. Twelve participants with paraplegia were given twenty-four training sessions in 8 weeks with the Rewalk-exoskeleton. During the 2nd, 4th, and 6th training week the Intermediate-skills-test was performed consisting of 27 skills, measured in an hierarchical order of difficulty, until two skills were not achieved. When participants could walk independentl

SUBMITTER: van Dijsseldonk RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5732998 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature