Cardiovascular assessment and fitness training are often overlooked in physical rehabilitation. Many current rehabilitation exercise devices do not allow for the recording and exportation of variables related to cardiovascular fitness. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to design, prototype, and validate a data logger that measures, records, and exports time, heart rate (HR), and speed data with the commercially available rehabilitation device called the Intelligently Controlled Assistive Rehabilitation Elliptical (ICARE). Validation involved using the data logger device in parallel with devices currently used in research environments for measuring HR (TrueOne 2400 metabolic cart with polar HR monitoring chest strap) and speed (ICARE's console). Ten healthy individuals without known disability impacting walking or ability to use the ICARE, exercised on the ICARE while HR and ICARE speed were measured. It was found that the data logger can be used to accurately measure, record, and export HR (linear regression: P < 0.001; R2 = 0.892) and speed (linear regression: P < 0.001; R2 = 0.997) data when used with the ICARE.

Purpose: A motor-assisted elliptical, ICARE, is used to address walking and fitness goals; yet, only limited data guide understanding of the impact of ICARE training parameters (e.g., speed and motor assistance) on cardiovascular response. A repeated-measures design investigated the influence of 5 predetermined ICARE speeds (25, 35, 45, 55, and 65 revolutions per minute) and 2 motor-assistance levels (with and without assistance) on heart rate (HR), Borg ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and blood pressure (BP). Methods: Ten healthy participants' HR, RPE, and BP were recorded during steady state Active Assist (ICARE's motor assisting leg movement) and Active Assist Plus exercise (without motor's assistance) at 5 speeds. Results: Significant main effects on HR were documented for ICARE speed (F[4,36] = 77.313, P < .001) and motor assistance (F[1,36] = 224.813, P < .001), and an interaction (F[4,36] = 4.410, P = .005). Significant main effects on RPE were documented for speed (F[4,36] = 47.106, P < .001) and motor assistance (F[1,36] = 24.929, P < .001). Significant main effects on systolic BP were documented for speed (F[4,36] = 78.849, P < .001) and motor assistance (F[1,36] = 6.911, P = .027), and an interaction (F[4,36] = 5.695, P = .001). Only the main effect of motor assistance on diastolic BP was significant (F[1,36] = 7.917, P = .020). Conclusions: Increases in ICARE speed and decreases in motor assistance contributed to clinically relevant increases in HR, RPE, and systolic BP in a cohort of young, nondisabled adults.

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Many children with physical disabilities experience difficulty using traditional exercise equipment for gait rehabilitation and fitness training, and the clinician resources required to deliver intensive overground or treadmill-based therapies are infrequently available in most clinics, hospitals, and school settings. This work describes design and testing of a comprehensive set of modifications that enabled children to use a commercially available robotic exercise device (i.e., Intelligently Controlled Assistive Rehabilitation Elliptical (ICARE)) initially developed to address walking and fitness goals of adults with physical disabilities and chronic conditions. Fifteen children (3–11 years old) concurrently enrolled in physical therapy due to varied neurologic conditions were recruited with their parent(s) to evaluate the safety, comfort, and usability of the adult ICARE and pediatric-modified ICARE. After children tried each device, feedback was recorded. To assess feasibility, each child then participated in up to ten sessions (two to five sessions per week; average session length: 38 min, range 21–66 min) using the pediatric-modified ICARE. Parents, on average, perceived that the pediatric-modified ICARE was significantly safer, more comfortable and usable than the adult ICARE. Children's perceptions of the pediatric-modified ICARE were similar, although not statistically significant. Children used the prototype device during 133 sessions for over 3800 min and more than 162,000 cycles. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the feasibility of using the pediatric-modified ICARE with children as young as 3 years old as an adjunct to ongoing therapy.