A Vertical Running Machine called a VARRI—Vertical, Anti-Gravity, Re-habilitation, Recovery, and Impact Resistant. It relates to the field of bio-mechanical technology, human physiological facts, and the relationship of gravity and the functionality of the body in motion. This is a Vertical, Anti-gravity device created for Recovery from injuries, physical therapy Rehabilitation with the functional characteristics of Impact-free conditioning and by providing a non-impact system to improve the conditioning or recovery of the user, the patient or the elderly. The device provides a method of a more rapid and safer recovery from injuries and surgery and also is capable to provide enhanced athletic performance by using a vertical, non-impact system which alleviates the damages on the muscles and skeletal structure of the body from the continuous impact of horizontal running on the ground.

A trunk supporting exoskeleton comprises: a supporting trunk; thigh links configured to move in unison with a wearer's thighs; and first and second torque generators located on both left and right halves of the wearer substantially close to the wearer's hip. The torque generators couple the supporting trunk to the thigh links, and generate torque between the thigh links and the supporting trunk. When the wearer bends forward such that a predetermined portion of the supporting trunk passes beyond a predetermined angle from vertical, a torque generator(s) imposes a resisting torque between the supporting trunk and the thigh link(s), causing the supporting trunk to impose a force against the wearer's trunk, and the thigh link(s) to impose a force onto the wearer's thigh. When the predetermined portion does not pass beyond the predetermined angle, the torque generators impose no resisting torques between said supporting trunk and respective thigh links.

A power assist suit includes a harness worn at least around hips of a wearer, an assist unit, a power unit, and a bearing roller. The assist unit includes an arm and a thigh-worn part. A rail is provided at a part of the arm in a longitudinal direction. The rail includes channel-shaped parts extending along the longitudinal direction. The thigh-worn part is connected to sliding movable parts or integrated with at least a portion of the sliding movable parts. The bearing roller is disposed between each of the channel-shaped parts in the rail and each of inner wall surfaces of the sliding movable parts facing the respective channel-shaped parts.

A method for controlling an ankle-type walking assistance device may include measuring an angle of a joint of the walking assistance apparatus, calculating an angular velocity and a linear velocity of a frame of the walking assistance device using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) attached to the frame, generating a dynamics model for the walking assistance device based on the angle of the joint, the angular velocity and the linear velocity of the frame, calculating a disturbance applied to the walking assistance device based on the dynamics model, and controlling the walking assistance device based on the calculated force, equivalent, or wrench.

The present disclosure relates to an elastic unit with adjustable elasticity and elastic modulus and to an operation method thereof. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an elastic unit with adjustable elasticity and elastic modulus, which comprises: an elastic element having a plurality of division areas longitudinally; and elasticity adjustment modules that are laid out in each of the division areas of the elastic element and activate or inactivate the elastic element partially depending on the division areas to adjust an elasticity and an elastic modulus of the elastic element.

A portable modular stretching apparatus has a basic structure of a base, central rod, pulley, cable system, and two legs jointed at the central rod and alongside the base. Attachments are then added for customized stretching. Attachments provide for hamstring, hips, quadriceps, knees, gastrocnemius, ankle, and metatarsal stretching, limberness, and extension, and hyperflexion. A person adds and removes the attachments based on the desired stretch routine, controls the tension, and removes the attachments, and folds the apparatus when complete.

A walking assistance device deformable based on a thigh shape includes a hip joint actuator, an upper thigh frame connected to the hip joint actuator and configured to receive power from the hip joint actuator and rotate about a first axis and rotate about a second axis intersecting the first axis, a motion frame connected to the upper thigh frame, the motion frame including a plurality of segment frames configured to rotate relative to each other, and a lower thigh frame connected to the motion frame.

Exemplary arrangements provide leg training devices suitable for high intensity training of hip flexors while simultaneously training the extensors of hip and knee joints. The exemplary leg training devices include foot fixings which are permanent vertically movable components of the device, each of which are configured to releasably engage a foot of a user in operative engagement therewith while limiting the movement of the foot relative to the foot fixings. Each of the foot fixings is operatively connected to a suitable mechanism that provides a resistance force to vertical movement of the foot fixing by the user's leg. In exemplary arrangements the resistance force may be selectively variable with regard to the magnitude and/or point of application so as to provide the desired training regimen.

An integrated functional electrical stimulation (FES) system includes a component of a mobility assistance device, and an FES system mounted within the component. The FES system includes an FES stimulator that is embedded within the component, and a plurality of FES jacks that are electrically connected to the FES stimulator and are located on the component. The FES jacks are configured to receive a plurality of FES electrodes, and an electrical stimulation output from the FES stimulator is conducted through the FES jacks to the FES electrodes. In a wireless embodiment, the FES stimulator is configured to wirelessly transmit a control signal for applying an electrical stimulation output to the plurality of FES electrodes, and the FES jacks are eliminated. The FES stimulator may be embedded within a back portion of the hip component of an exoskeleton device, and in the wired embodiment the FES jacks are located on wing portions of the hip component.

In at least one aspect, there is provided a system for generating force about one or more joints including a soft exosuit having a plurality of anchor elements and at least one connection element disposed between the plurality of anchor elements. The system also includes at least one sensor to determine a force the at least one connection element or at least one of the plurality of anchor elements and to output signals relating to the force, at least one actuator configured to change a tension in the soft exosuit and at least one controller configured to receive the signals output from the at least one sensor and actuate the at least one actuator responsive to the received signals.