The Effect of a Wearable Hip Assist Robot on Cardiopulmonary Metabolic Efficiency During Stair Ascent in Elderly Adults

The Effect of a Wearable Hip Assist Robot on Cardiopulmonary Metabolic Efficiency During Stair Ascent in Elderly Adults

The aim of this study was to identify the assistance effect of the new wearable hip assist robot, gait enhancing mechatronic system (GEMS) developed by Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd., Korea) during stair ascent by comparing the energy expenditure of elderly adults with and without the GEMS.

Primary objective of this study is to demonstrate the effect of a wearable hip assist robot on cardiopulmonary metabolic efficiency during stair ascent in elderly adults.

Fifteen elderly adults participated in this study. The stair ascent trials were designed to climb stairs from the first basement level to the fourth floor of the Proton Therapy Center, Samsung Medical Center, Korea. The metabolic energy expenditure was measured using a portable cardiopulmonary metabolic system (Cosmed K4b², Rome, Italy) while participants performed randomly assigned two different conditions consecutively:, free ascent without the GEMS (NoGEMS) or robot-assisted ascent with the GEMS (GEMS). Participants rested for 10 minutes between the two trial conditions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Elderly adults who absence of a history of musculoskeletal or central nervous system diseases
• High levels of physical performance (SPPB > 8)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Elderly adults who absence of the ability to walk independently due to visual field defects, fractures, or severe muscle weakness
• Severe dizziness that might lead to falls
• Cognitive disorders that might be difficult to understand accurately in this study