ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The use of a smart electromechanical material, dielectric elastomer, is investigated for the development of an active bracing technique, which modifies the stiffness and damping of the knee brace during energy harvesting so as to reduce knee joint torque deviation during late swing in braced walking. METHODS: The bracing technique considered involves a dielectric elastomer energy harvesting cycle, which activates only when the knee flexor muscles are contracting eccentrically during late swing. The brace reduces the leg extension deviation during late swing in braced walking by transforming a portion of the mechanical stored energy into electrical energy, reducing the required internal work performed within the body. RESULTS: Simulated behavior of the dielectric elastomer brace worn across the knee joint demonstrates that when properly activated, the dielectric elastomer brace's reduction in stiffness and increase in damping minimize the added energy expenditure of knee joint bracing during late swing. CONCLUSIONS: The modeling results demonstrate the effective application of a soft, circumferential, dielectric elastomer energy harvesting knee brace, which utilizes the changes in the dynamic behavior of the knee joint occurring during energy harvesting in order to reduce the added demand placed on the knee joint under braced conditions.
ABSTRACT
The use of smartphones in clinical practice is steadily increasing with the availability of low cost/freely available "apps" that could be used to assess human gait. The primary aim of this manuscript is to test the concurrent validity of kinematic measures recorded by a smartphone application in comparison to a 3D motion capture system in the sagittal plane. The secondary aim was to develop a protocol for clinicians on the set up of the smartphone camera for video movement analysis. The sagittal plane knee angle was measured during heel strike and toe off events using the smart phone app and a 3D motion-capture system in 32 healthy subjects. Three trials were performed at near (2-m) and far (4-m) smartphone camera distances. The order of the distances was randomized. Regression analysis was performed to estimate the height of the camera based on either the subject's height or leg length. Absolute measurement errors were least during toe off (3.12 ± 5.44 degrees) compared to heel strike (5.81 ± 5.26 degrees). There were significant (p < 0.05) but moderate agreements between the application and 3D motion capture measures of knee angles. There were also no significant (p > 0.05) differences between the absolute measurement errors between the two camera positions. The measurement errors averaged between 3 - 5 degrees during toe off and heel strike events of the gait cycle. The use of smartphone apps can be a useful tool in the clinic for performing gait or human movement analysis. Further studies are needed to establish the accuracy in measuring movements of the upper extremity and trunk.
