PFI:AIR - TT: Enhancing the Balance and Control of Crutch Walking Using a Novel Crutch Tip

这个PFI：空气技术翻译项目专注于提高使用拐杖行走的效率。拄着拐杖走路比不拄拐杖走路需要更多的能量，然而，最近的大多数进展只集中在让拐杖更舒适。提高拐杖行走的效率很重要，因为它可以增加独立性，改善稳定性，并减少大约600万依赖拐杖进行日常活动的人的疲劳。这个项目将导致一种可行的设计动力拐杖尖端，使拐杖行走更有效，而不需要任何外部动力。它还可以通过降低用户的速度来帮助用户在走下斜坡时保持控制。动态拐杖尖端预计将帮助现有的拐杖使用者获得更多的机动性，并允许更多的人使用拐杖，而不是轮椅和其他更久坐的辅助设备，这些设备不鼓励相同水平的日常活动。该项目解决了从研究发现到商业应用的几个技术差距。传统的拐杖尖端有一个标准点或恒定半径的尖端，在行走过程中不能帮助使用者；所有向前推进的力必须由使用者在拐杖上向前推来产生。相比之下，动态拐杖尖端使用一种特殊的形状，可以预见地将使用者的向下力重新定向为帮助个人向前行走的推进力。这种帮助是被动提供的，因此不需要电机或电源。辅助力量帮助个人在越过平地和上坡时使用更少的能量。拐杖尖端的形状可以旋转，以逆转辅助力，并通过降低使用者的动量来提供更可控的下山方式。这个项目的科学挑战在于准确地确定四种常用的拐杖步态模式中的每一种都应该使用什么样的翻转拐杖尖端形状，以及拐杖尖端如何影响步态动力学和在每个拐杖步态中使用的能量。重点将放在短期拐杖使用者主要使用的不稳定和快速通过拐杖的步态，以及长期残障人士通常使用的更稳定和缓慢移动的2、3和4点拐杖步态模式。该项目结合了工程学、理疗和创业方面的专业知识，使这一新方法的开发能够帮助依赖拐杖行走的个人。此外，参与该项目的本科生和研究生将获得创新和创业的经验。该项目聘请了两个合作伙伴，以推动这项技术转化努力，从研究发现到商业现实。陶氏生命科学将通过确定要重点关注的细分市场(S)来指导商业化方面，并将帮助重新设计在实验室已显示成功的研究原型，以便针对确定的细分客户进行更大规模的测试。与该项目相关的工程和设计将通过与科学和工业博物馆(佛罗里达州坦帕市)的合作向公众展示，那里的展览将突出对辅助和康复技术的研究。参观者将能够尝试不同类型的拐杖，并了解有障碍的人在执行简单的日常任务时遇到的困难。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on enhancing the efficiency of using crutches to walk. Walking with crutches requires significantly more energy than walking without a crutch, yet most of the recent advances have only focused on making crutches more comfortable. Enhanced crutch walking efficiency is important because it can increase independence, improve stability, and reduce fatigue in the approximately six million individuals that rely on crutches for daily mobility. This project will result in a feasible design for a kinetic crutch tip that makes crutch walking more efficient without requiring any external power. It can also help users maintain control when walking down a slope by reducing their speed. The kinetic crutch tip is expected to help existing crutch users gain additional mobility and allow more people to use crutches instead of wheelchairs and other more sedentary assistive devices that do not encourage the same level of daily activity.This project addresses several technology gaps as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application. Conventional crutch tips have a standard point or constant radius tip that cannot assist the user during walking; all forward progression forces must be generated by the user pushing themselves forward over the crutch. In contrast, the kinetic crutch tip uses a special shape to predictably redirect the user's downward force into a propulsive force that assists the individual in forward ambulation. This assistance is provided passively, so no motors or power supplies are required. The assistance force helps the individual use less energy while moving forward over level ground and when walking uphill. The crutch tip shape can be rotated to reverse the assistance force and provide a more controlled descent down a hill by reducing the user's momentum. The scientific challenge of this project lies in determining precisely what roll-over crutch tip shape should be used for each of the four commonly used crutch gait patterns and how the tip affects the gait dynamics and energy used during each crutch gait. The focus will be on the unstable and fast-moving swing-through crutch gait predominately used by short-term crutch users and on the more stable and slow-moving 2- 3- and 4-point crutch gait patterns typically used by long-term disabled individuals. The combination of engineering, physical therapy, and business start-up expertise on this project enables the development of this new method to assist individuals that rely on crutches to walk. In addition, undergraduate and graduate students involved in this project will receive experiences in innovation and entrepreneurship.The project engages two partners to advance this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality. Tao Life Sciences will guide the commercialization aspects by identifying the market segment(s) to focus on and will help in redesigning the research prototypes that have shown success in the lab for larger-scale testing focused on the identified customer segment. The engineering and design related to this project will be presented to the general public through a collaboration with the Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa, FL) where an exhibit will highlight research into assistive and rehabilitation technologies. Visitors will be able try out the different types of crutches and learn about the difficulties that individuals with impairments have in performing simple daily tasks.