Intelligent Gait Assistive Technologies

Rezaul Begg is chair in Assistive Technologies within the Program in Assistive Technology Innovation (PATI) at Victoria University. He leads a multidisciplinary “Gait and Intelligent Technologies” research group focused on technologies with application to both unimpaired and pathological gait. He uses a combination of engineering and biomechanical principles to understand and diagnose locomotion-related deficits, and to provide intelligent technology solutions to improving walking efficiency and safety. Professor Begg has published five books and over 300 refereed papers in scientific journals and conferences proceedings. He is associate editor of Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, and an editorial board member of the Journal of Biomechanics and Sensors. He has received several Best Paper awards in conferences, the Victoria University Vice Chancellor’s citation award for Excellence in Research, a Gold Medal from BUET and Chancellor’s Prize from Bangladesh Government for Academic Excellence. Hanatsu Nagano specializes in gait biomechanics with special focus on application for practical interventions. He invented the special shoe-insole that reduces tripping, falls, and improves dynamic balance, which was awarded ‘Most Innovative New Care Product in the World’ for the three consecutive years. He is experienced in working closely with industry-leading research & development projects including regenerative medical technology, management of knee osteoarthritis, wearable sensor application, artificial intelligence, exercise intervention, and active exoskeletons. His entrepreneurship and business communication skills have successfully established various international academia-industry-government collaborations. He sets his current missions in developing smart footwear for safe walking, inventing regenerative technology integrated knee orthosis, coordinating health enhancing intervention programs for government-leading initiatives, establishing further synergy effects based on research-industry linkage, and promoting Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) and its core philosophy, Cybernics, worldwide.

Part I: Gait Biomechanics - Tripping, Slipping and Balance Loss
1. Fundamentals of Gait Biomechanics
2. Kinematics and Kinetics of Lower Limb Swing Phase Trajectory Control
3. Minimum Foot-Ground Clearance (MFC) and Tripping Probability Modelling
4. Required Coefficient of Friction (RCOF) and Slipping Prediction
5. Gait Adaptations due to Ageing, Injury and Pathologies
6. Gait Impairments Causing Tripping, Slipping and Balance Loss

Part II: Gait Assisting Techniques and Devices
7. Biofeedback-Based Gait Training Interventions
8. Passive Exoskeletons
9. Active Exoskeletons
10. Intelligent Footwear: Smart Insoles, Shoe-Mounted Sensors

Part III: Machine Learning Applications to Gait Assisting Techniques
11. Predicting Gait Kinematics from Inertial Sensors
12. Limb Trajectory Prediction (i): Critical Failure Events
13. Limb Trajectory Prediction (ii): Intelligent Assistive Device Control and Tripping Hazard Recognition

Part IV Conclusions, Emerging Techniques and Future Directions
14. Future Challenges in Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention
15. Research Directions in Gait Biomechanics and Machine Learning
16. References