iStride(TM) Device Used for Stroke Rehabilitation

The objective of this research is to test a passive shoe to correct gait in individuals with asymmetric walking patterns. This will be done in a clinic. Individuals with central nervous system damage, such as stroke, often have irregular walking patterns and have difficulty walking correctly. Recent research has shown that using a split-belt treadmill can create after-effects that temporarily correct the inefficient walking patterns. However, the corrected walking pattern does not efficiently transfer from the treadmill to walking over ground. The iStride, formerly known as the Gait Enhancing Mobile Shoe (GEMS), may allow a patient to practice walking in many different locations, such as their own home, which we hypothesize will result in a more permanent transfer of learned gait patterns. To enable long-term use, our proposed shoe design is passive and uses the wearer's natural forces exerted while walking to generate the necessary motions.