A small and wireless accelerometer system was developed for the estimation of temporal gait parameters. The new system was built using two 3-axis accelerometers. Measurement's accuracy was assessed using as a criterion standard provided by foot switches. To assess the consistency of this system, estimates of heel contact and toe off time based on accelerometers and those based on footswitches were compared for 20 steps from 8 individual healthy subjects. Accelerometers and footswitches had high consistency in the temporal gait parameters. The stance, swing, single support, and double support time of gait cycle revealed ICCs values of 0.95, 0.93, 0.86, and 0.75 on the right and 0.96, 0.86, 0.93, 0.84 on the left, respectively. Therefore, this system proved to be a reliable tool for identification of temporal gait parameters.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of our newly developed virtual reality head-mounted display (VR-HMD) "walker avoidance" game in reducing step-aside reaction time (SART) and enhancing agility in collision avoidance. 15 young adults in experimental group (EG) engaged in the “walker avoidance” game, while another 15 young adults in the control group (CG) played the “first touch” tutorial. The results showed the EG had significant decreases (p<.01) in both SART-standing and SART-walking when compared with pre-intervention measurements. Compared with the CG, the EG SART-standing exhibited significant decreases in both the first (p=.001) and second (p<.001) measurements post-intervention; the EG SART-walking demonstrated significant decreases in all (p<.05) measurements, except for pre-intervention measurement. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (spm1d) also demonstrated significant differences in most of the electromyography and forefoot/hindfoot ground reaction force results because the step-aside movement became quicker in the EG following training. After pushing the leg-heel contact, the EG participants made a toe-off sooner than the CG participants. Following two sessions of our newly developed “walker avoidance” game, conducted 1 week apart, the EG exhibited less collisions with virtual pedestrians and reduced reaction times to unpredictable directional change measurements compared with the CG. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of this targeted VR training program in improving motor function, which introduced a novel approach to rehabilitation as a digital therapy. It offers innovative perspectives and an approach for clinical rehabilitation, while also providing new ideas for the VR content development industry.

The mediolateral ankle strategy plays a crucial role in providing ankle stability in ground obstacle-avoidance behavior. This is achieved by changing basic walking patterns according to the characteristics of the obstacle. In daily life, it is more common to use step-aside movement (i.e., dodging step) for collision avoidance rather than side-stepping (i.e., widening standing base) when encountering an approaching pedestrian or bicycle. While studies have been conducted on the mediolateral ankle strategy contribution in obstacle avoidance using side-stepping, knowledge of step-aside movement is still inadequate. Therefore, we conducted an electromyography (EMG) analysis on the tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), and soleus (SOL) muscles, as well as measured center of pressure (CoP) displacement, and vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) of the standing leg, in order to understand the role of ankle muscles in step-aside movement during quiet standing. Fifteen healthy young men repeated twelve step-aside movements in both left and right directions. A Bayesian one-sample t-test was used to determine the sufficient step and participant counts. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the correlation between the muscle activity and CoP displacement or vGRF. The regression coefficients (β) of the left push phase and the right loading phase were tested against zero using a Bayesian one-sample t-test to identify the correlation between independent and dependent variables. We used the one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (SPM1d) method to analyze the differences between and within the groups of EMG data based on the continuous time series. The results showed that the PL displayed a substantial contribution to the mediolateral ankle strategy during the push phase of step-aside movement, and also contributed to maintaining ankle stability during the loading phase. This suggested that screening for PL weakness and providing appropriate interventions and/or training approaches is especially critical for populations with walking stability problems.

The step-aside movement, also known as the dodging step, is a common maneuver for avoiding obstacles while walking. However, differences in neural control mechanisms and ankle strategies compared to straight walking can pose a risk of falling. This study aimed to examine the differences in tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), and soleus (SOL) muscle contractions, foot center of pressure (CoP) displacement, and ground reaction force (GRF) generation between step-aside movement and straight walking to understand the mechanism behind step-aside movement during walking. Twenty healthy young male participants performed straight walking and step-aside movements at comfortable walking speeds. The participants’ muscle contractions, CoP displacement, and GRF were measured. The results show significant greater bilateral ankle muscle contractions during the push and loading phases of step-aside movement than during straight walking. Moreover, the CoP displacement, GRF generation mechanism, and timing differed from those observed during straight walking. These findings provide valuable insights for rehabilitation professionals in the development of clinical decisions for populations at a risk of falls and lacking gait stability.