A Soft Pneumatic Hip-Assistive Robot for Reducing Scissor Gait on a Five-Year Old Child with Cerebral Palsy

Hip disorders are prevalent in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP), impacting their ability to engage in typical activities and affecting walking efficiency. However, existing orthopedic devices and robotic systems have primarily focused on hip flexion and extension, neglecting issues related to scissor gait with hip adduction and excessive hip internal rotation. The previous design using motor is heavy and bulky. Soft pneumatic actuator with customized size could be fabricated easier and generate the desire hip correction force to improve scissor gait during walking in children with CP. The soft hip robot utilized soft and breathable textile materials along with lightweight pneumatic actuators to minimize additional weight-bearing for the children during walking. The system could adapt different spend to automatically adjust the inflation time based on the IMU and FSR for the gait pattern. A pilot testing study involved a 5-year-old child with CP and hip deformity. The results indicated that the hip adduction angle and internal rotation angle between no robotic assistance and wearing the soft hip robot had a significant reduction in both hip adduction and internal rotation angles. The comfortable walking speed had been improved from 0.14 m/s to 0.42 m/s. These findings suggest the potential of the soft hip robot to improve the quality of life and mobility of children with CP, specifically those with scissor gait. This user-friendly and effective solution holds promise in addressing the unique needs of CP children and enhancing their overall mobility.