Shared walk environment using locomotion interfaces

Abstract

By sharing data regarding the sensations experienced by individuals, as well as by sharing their knowledge, we are readily able to communicate with each other, and there are possibilities to further evolve this communication method. The different sensations experienced during voluntary walking and enforced walking give us different feelings. Also, the number of individuals involved can create a different feeling when walking. Networked computer-assisted walking can support and enhance these different experiences. In this paper, we introduce another walking style, the shared power-assisted voluntary walk, which is realized by a prototype networked locomotion system. This system can be used in tele-rehabilitation, which allows remote patients to share the sensation of walking. Also, it can be used to teach a group of patients rehabilitative walking. We developed two locomotion interfaces and connected them via a network. We developed enforced and semi-voluntary walking training systems using the shared walk environment and evaluated them with a series of experiments.