Development Activities

D1

Developing a Pivoting-Sliding Elliptical System to Improve Off-Axis Meuromuscular Control in Children with Orthopedic Disabilities

This project is structured to develop an elliptical machine to improve neuromuscular control and stability in children with patellofemoral instability and cerebral palsy. an interactive gaming approach is used to fully engage patients who use the device. anticipated development results include improved neuromuscular control and stability and effective interactive gaming.

  • Co-PI's
    • Yupeng Ren, M.S.
    • Li-Qun Zhang, Ph.D.
  • Patient population
    • Cerebral Palsy (CP): 18
    • Patello femoral Pain Syndrome: 18
  • Project goal
    • Develop novel off-axis rehabilitation system to train children with severe orthopaedic disabilities

D1 Update: 2012 Annual Meeting

  • Progress
  • Challenges & Solutions
  • Accomplishments
  • Opportunities
  • Plans for Year 3

D1 2012 Annual Update (Powerpoint) (10.4 MB)

D1 Specific Aims

  1. Design a pivoting and sliding elliptical rehabilitation system with integrated motivating biofeedback training games for children with orthopedic disabilities
    1. System will follow children during running/walking activities in sagittal plane
    2. Optional assistance and off-axis pivoting-sliding (training) motions in the frontal and transverse planes
    3. Guide users to improve neuromuscular control about the off-axes
    4. Obtain quantitative measurements
    5. Developed off-axis virtual reality games will further motivate children for more active involvement in the training
  2. Evaluate the off-axis training system and resulting neuromuscular control changes in terms of stability, strength, stiffness, proprioception, and reaction time in tibial rotation and mediolateral sliding
    1. Employ a ‘design-build-test-design’ strategy
    2. Evaluation/quality control paradigm
    3. Clinical use and further commercialization

D1 Conceptual Model

  • Pivoting-sliding elliptical system will be developed to help children improve neuromuscular control in the off-axis (minor-axis) axial and frontal planes
  • Training goals relate to maintenance of postural lateral and axial stability

Diagram shows a schematic of foot plates in a pivoting-sliding elliptical system.

Picture shows a detailed schematic of a pivoting-sliding elliptical system.

D1 Tasks

  • Aim 1
    • Mechanical design and assembly
    • Embedded control and interface development
    • Design controlled pivoting-sliding training modes
    • Design user-friendly VR training games
  • Aim 2
    • Evaluate training system
    • Evaluate training-induced neuromechanical changes

4 small pictures show a schematic of foot placement during a virtual reality (VR) training game.

D1 Anticipated Timeline

Tasks Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Pivoting-Sliding Elliptical Training System Development
Aim 1: System development
Task.1 Mechanical design and assembly Q1 Q2 Q3
Task.2 Embedded system and interface system development Q3 Q4 Q1
Task.3 Design controlled pivoting-sliding training modes Q4 Q1 Q2
Task.4 Design the user-friendly GUI and pivoting/sliding-related VR games Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1Q2Q3Q4 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Publications & technology patents Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1Q2Q3Q4 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Aim 2: Clinical evaluate the off-axis training system
Task.1 Subject recruitment Q4 Q1 Q1 Q1
Task.2 Experiment for development evaluation Q1Q2Q3Q4 Q1Q2Q3Q4 Q1 Q2
Task.3 System and function assessment Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1Q2Q3Q4 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Publications & technology patents Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q4