Mech-Walker:A Novel Single-DOF Linkage Device With Movable Frame for Gait Rehabilitation

In this article, a novel lower extremity gait rehabilitation device with a single actuator is presented. The proposed device, Mech-Walker, utilizes the single-degree of freedom eight-bar Jansen's mechanism. The mechanism is synthesized to generate the ankle trajectory of human gait, relative to the hip, in terms of both position and time. Two mechanisms, one for each leg, are applied reciprocally and are mechanically synchronized to guarantee...