A system approach for control development of lower-limbs training machines

Rehabilitation Technologies: Biomechatronics Point of View

“…Moughamir et al devised a training system called Multi-Iso (Moughamir et al, 2002). This system is also able to perform assistive, resistive and passive exercises like NeXOS.…”

Characterization and implementation of mechanical stimulation on isokinetic machines

“…3). During an isometric contraction, the mobile arm resists the force developed by the muscle to maintain a constant position and, consequently, to maintain a constant length of the muscle (Moughamir et al, 2002). In this case, the evolution of muscular force does not depend on the kinematics of the muscle and therefore the mechanical stimulation is based on an elementary pattern of movement, repeated several times during the exercise.…”

“…Training and rehabilitation machines for the lower limbs are in wide use (Cotte & Ferret, 2003;Moughamir et al, 2002). These machines are used to develop and evaluate muscular force through executing a coordinated training sequence, alternating in an upward movement pattern and a downward movement pattern.…”

“…Our goal was to stimulate, in a repetitive way, the neuromuscular system under predefined biomechanical conditions to enhance the mechanical characteristics of muscle (e.g., muscular mass, viscosity, and muscular stiffness). Muscular reinforcement in actual training situations, and in specific exercises using a training machine (Cotte & Ferret, 2003;Moughamir, Zaytoon, Manamanni, & Afilal, 2002) is, in some cases, carried out using electrical stimulation. This implies fixing electrodes on the skin to excite the muscle through the application of electrical pulses.…”

“…This requires an adaptation of the control system of the host machine, if its mechanical structure can support the dynamic characteristics required by the stimulation patterns. The proposed controller is based on a specialization of a generic control scheme for Isokinetic machines (Moughamir et al, 2002). This controller carries out small movements used to stretch muscle and this repeated stretching invokes the neuromuscular g loop during exercise, thus controlling the flexibility of a muscle and decreasing its resistance to muscular contraction.…”