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Cheongju University's Development of Walking Assistance Technology for the Disabled

The Cheongdae Times Cub reporter Jin-Hyung Cho

Cheongju University's Department of Sports Rehabilitation is drawing attention by developing a new walking assistance technology with Harvard University's medical school in the U.S. Cheongju University's Department of Sports Rehabilitation announced on May 13th that it has developed a new wearable walking robot technology through joint research with Harvard University Medical School in the United States.

This is expected to play a major role in improving the quality of life of people who have difficulty walking, such as the disabled.

In this study, Cheongju University and Harvard Medical School in the United States demonstrated a technology that improves ankle flexion when walking by combining a new electrical stimulation technology, "transcutaneous interference-current nerve induction (TINI). “

The study used new convergence technologies in electrophysiology and mechanical engineering to develop robotics, that assists ankle movements while walking and confirmed the possibility of helping the functional movements of people with brain lesions.

Until now, if the robot moves the joints in a state of severe muscle stiffness in most patients with brain damage, it can rather cause injuries to ligaments or tendons, limiting the spread of technology in rehabilitation sites.


In addition, various wearable robotics have been developed that generate large forces to resist patient rigidity, but it was difficult to apply them in real life due to their heavy weight.

This study confirmed the effect of increasing the ankle flexion range when walking due to suppression of calf muscle contraction by combining "TINI" technology and robotic assist devices.


In particular, the "TINI" technology acts as a new physiological mechanism different from the existing electrical stimulation technology and is applied in combination with a robotic auxiliary device for the first time in this study.

Professor Kim Yu-shin of the Department of Sports Rehabilitation at Cheongju University said, "This study is a validation stage of the 'TINI' technology and is expected to play a major role in improving the quality of life of people with disabilities and others.


" He also said, "Foreign researchers first showed interest in the existing 'TINI' source technology and started joint research, and we plan to continue follow-up research at Boston Children's Hospital, a hospital affiliated with Harvard University Medical School.“