Stumble Refs

A new stumble perturbation system that can trip people at precise moments in stride cycle, enabling us to learn more about human reflexes & how people recover their balance, so we can build similar reflexes into robotic prostheses to reduce falls & injuries in this population 1/3 pic.twitter.com/FwCHsIdkgT

— Karl Zelik (@KarlZelik) 12 de junho de 2019

Yea it's heavy so doesnt usually move much. But just like stumbling over a big rock, it can rotate or flip up, sometimes in unexpected ways. Here's example of a trial where subject's toe caught block with enough force & just right angle to flip it up. Made it difficult to recover pic.twitter.com/a5Pe4036Vo

— Karl Zelik (@KarlZelik) 12 de junho de 2019

We can also alter the weight or shape of the block to introduce other types of perturbations. Here's example of block used to scuff bottom of foot. Most of us consider this a mild perturbation, but can be dangerous/tricky for someone with prosthetic knee who can't power thru it. pic.twitter.com/Yd9O2Opp4O

— Karl Zelik (@KarlZelik) 12 de junho de 2019