WARD: a pneumatic system for body weight relief in gait rehabilitation
F. Gazzani, V. Macellari, M. Torre, V. Castellano, D. Coratella · 2002
A system for walking rehabilitation is presented, WARD (Walking Assistance and Rehabilitation Device), devised to relieve the patient of his/her body weight of a constant and prescribed amount. This is obtained by externally supporting the patient at the upper trunk or pelvis level through a harness. The system is based on a pneumatic actuator that has been proved to be effective at maintaining a constant relief force. The components of WARD are described: frame, body weight relief (BWR) apparatus, control and data acquisition equipment, treadmill. The results obtained in pilot sessions on patients affected by various pathologies are promising.