Even with proper lifting techniques, fatigue can cause many debilitating injuries. Exoskeleton lumbar support devices help prevent these injuries for workers and improve their overall performance. In this article, we present a study on the performance of a semiactive lower back support exoskeleton. The device is powered by a spring–damper mechanism that utilizes a magnetorheological fluid to add a resistive force to the hip joint. The braking force of the device showed a range between 100 and 900 N depending on the compression stroke, coil current, and actuation speed. Muscle activation of the latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, and gluteus maximus was reduced. The analysis based on a biomechanical model showed a power reduction of 40% at the hip joint in the bending phase, and a total reduction of 20% during the entire lifting cycle. The automatic control system using only embedded sensors showed successful and stable functioning but had excessive delays in the activation of the device.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder with a variety of symptoms that can affect muscle coordination and movement. Crouch gait is one such symptom that is defined as excessive knee flexion accompanied by a crouched posture. This paper introduces a passive exoskeleton to support the knee joint during stance of individuals with cerebral palsy that are affected by crouch gait. The exoskeleton utilizes a hydraulic disc brake mechanism that is actuated only by the body weight and gait of the wearer to provide a braking torque at the knee joint. This passive, gait-based control method aims to offer a compact, lightweight, and simple alternative to existing exoskeletons. Preliminary experiments were conducted to verify the mechanics, safety, and braking capabilities of the device with healthy participants. A pilot study with an individual with cerebral palsy was then conducted. The individual with cerebral palsy showed a reduction in hip joint angle when using the device (18.8${}^{\circ }$ and 21.7${}^{\circ }$ for left and right sides, respectively). The muscle co-activation index was also reduced from 0.48 to 0.24 on the right side and from 0.17 to 0.017 on the left side. However, changes such as activation timing and device training need to be improved to better support the user.

This study outlines the development of a platform that enables real-time bio-information sharing between gaming partners regardless of the game of choice. The authors hypothesize that since biosignals contain information about a person’s physiological and psychological state, sharing bio-information with easy-to-understand visual representations can augment the sense of social presence between online gaming partners. The proposed method uses the heart rate as a biosignal detected using a wrist-worn heart rate monitor, uploads these signals to a secure online real-time database, and creates visual representations of the gaming partner’s heart rate on each gamer’s screen. Comparative studies were conducted with 20 gamers. The results showed that sharing bio-information could elicit a sense of social presence similar to sharing real-time face videos in online settings. Furthermore, a synergetic effect was observed when bio-information was combined with face video sharing, leading to an even greater perceived social presence. Similar trends were not observed in co-presence in the participants of this study. However, grouping the participants’ scores by emotional arousal level showed a similar trend in the high-arousal group, suggesting that the impact of bio-information sharing may be modulated by the intensity of the gaming experience. The obtained results underscore the potential of bio-information sharing to augment social presence in online gaming contexts.

This study proposes a modular platform to improve the adoption of gamification in conventional physical rehabilitation programs. The effectiveness of rehabilitation is correlated to a patient’s adherence to the program. This adherence can be diminished due to factors such as motivation, feedback, and isolation. Gamification is a means of adding game-like elements to a traditionally non-game activity. This has been shown to be effective in providing a more engaging experience and improving adherence. The platform is made of three main parts; a central hardware hub, various wired and wireless sensors, and a software program with a stream-lined user interface. The software interface and hardware peripherals were all designed to be simple to use by either a medical specialist or an end-user patient without the need for technical training. A usability study was performed using a group of university students and a group of medical specialists. Using the System Usability Scale, the system received an average score of 69.25 ± 20.14 and 72.5 ± 17.16 by the students and medical specialists, respectively. We also present a framework that attempts to assist in selecting commercial games that are viable for physical rehabilitation.

Crouch gait is the gait abnormality consisting of excessive knee flexion with a crouched posture. This is often found in patients who suffer from the medical condition known as cerebral palsy (CP). This paper proposes a new, purely mechanical device that aims to alleviate this crouch gait in CP patients. A passive knee locking mechanism was attached to a commercial knee brace to support stance stability. The device utilizes only the wearer’s body weight to actuate this knee locking mechanism. Initial studies were then conducted on healthy persons to evaluate the knee kinematics when using the device. The results suggest that this device has the ability to improve stability during the stance phase.