Functional electrical stimulation (FES) based low-cost assistive device for foot drop – a pilot study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to design an efficient and economical FES device. The device was designed for post-stroke foot drop patients who could walk up to 5meters with assistance and could stand up from a sitting position. The device is Arduino-based and can sense the start of the swing phase and able to stimulate the dorsiflexor muscles till the end of the swing phase. The device was tested on 5 male subjects (aged 40-50 years), taking Temporal Spatial Parameters as indicators of efficiency. A significant improvement in the parameters was observed with the usage of the device.