Developing a Gait Enhancing Mobile Shoe to alter over-ground walking coordination

Abstract

This paper presents a Gait Enhancing Mobile Shoe (GEMS) that mimics the desirable kinematics of a split-belt treadmill except that it does so over ground. Split-belt treadmills, with two separate treads running at different speeds, have been found useful in the rehabilitation of persons with asymmetric walking patterns. Although in preliminary testing, beneficial after-effects have been recorded, various drawbacks include the stationary nature of the split-belt treadmill and the inability to keep a person on the split-belt treadmill for an extended period of time. For this reason, the after-effects for long-term gait training are still unknown. The mobile ability of the GEMS outlined in this paper enables it to be worn in different environments such as in one's own house and also enables it to be worn for a longer period of time since the GEMS is completely passive. Healthy subject testing has demonstrated that wearing this shoe for twenty minutes can alter the wearer's gait and will generate after-effects in a similar manner as a split-belt treadmill does.