This Study Evaluates the Use of a Data-driven Lower Limb Exoskeleton Controller for Stroke Rehabilitation. (NCT07616167)

🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)

The goal of this clinical trial is to test a new, impairment-aware robotic control software framework to see if its smart adaptation can improve walking recovery in healthy adults and chronic stroke survivors. . The main questions it aims to answer are: Can the new control software safely use sensors and machine learning to predict and instantly adapt to a user's specific walking needs? Does training with a robotic device driven by this new adaptive control framework improve walking speed and overall mobility in stroke survivors? Researchers will compare a lower-limb orthosis operating under the new "smart" control software (which adapts to the user's impairment) to the same device operating under a standard, non-adaptive controller (which uses rigid or fixed assistance) to see if the new control approach leads to greater improvements in walking ability. Participants will: Walk on treadmills, flat walkways, or stairs while wearing a robotic leg orthosis driven by the different control software systems being tested. Wear small tracking tools (like reflective motion-capture markers and muscle activity sensors) so researchers can precisely measure how their movements interact with each control program. Complete standard walking tests to measure their walking speed and overall mobility under each software condition.

Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.

Location: Rehabilitation Laboratory in the Ford Robotics Building on the University of Michigan North Campus — Ann Arbor, Michigan

Age range: 18 Years to 80 Years