Validation of the pelvic attachment mechanism of NIMBLE, an ambulatory user support gait rehabilitation robot.

Description of the project
NIMBLE project aims to design and validate a novel gait rehabilitation robot. The objective of the robot is to provide ambulatory, body-weight supported walking training assisting user's limbs and its center of mass. The NIMBLE robot is comprised by a robotic frame, a lower limb exoskeleton, and a exoskeleton-frame coupling mechatronics that allows to assist the user's center of mass.

Description of the dataset
This dataset contains the results of an experiment conducted to assess the alteration on walking kinematics due to the mechatronic device coupling the frame and the exoskeleton.

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METHODOLOGY
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1. Methodology
The walking kinematics were recorded and analyzed at slow (0.5 m/s) and normal (1 m/s) speeds under three different conditions: unrestricted walking, walking while wearing the Exo-H3 corset, and walking while wearing the Exo-H3 corset coupled to the robotic frame. Only the corset is worn, to isolate and evaluate the direct impact of the designed mechanism without the kinematic restrictions imposed by the exoskeleton. This approach ensures that the effects observed are solely attributable to the mechanism itself, avoiding any confounding influences from the exoskeleton. This approach allows the evaluation of the influence of the exoskeleton corset, as it is a required component to secure the user to the robotic frame, and a comparison of its impact with that of the robotic frame. For this purpose, joint angles and their maximum and minimum values and ranges of motion (ROM) are analyzed in both the sagittal and frontal planes, along with the step width and the displacement of the CoM in the vertical and horizontal directions.

2. Software
Data were collected using Kinovea and then processed and analyzed using Matlab.

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FILES
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1. Files 
One ".m" file is included. For each subject (idX), three subfolders are found:
- Calib folder: it contains the initial position and angular value of the markers and angles analyzed.
- frontal folder: for both speeds and the three analyzed conditions (Unrestricted walking CL, wearing the corset CC, and attached to the robotic frame CML), it contains the raw data, filtered data, segmented data normalized by gait cycles, mean and standard deviation data of those segmented cycles, and normalized data using the initial value from Calib file, for every marker position in the frontal plane (ankle, knee, hip and center of mass). Also, segmented, mean and deviations are presented from angular values in the frontal plane (right and left hip abduction and pelvic list).
- sagittal folder: for both speeds and the three analyzed conditions (Unrestricted walking CL, wearing the corset CC, and attached to the robotic frame CML), it contains the raw data, filtered data, segmented data normalized by gait cycles, mean and standard deviation data of those segmented cycles, and normalized data using the initial value from Calib file, for every marker position in the sagittal plane (hip, knee, ankle and toe tip). Also, segmented, mean and deviations are presented from angular values in the frontal plane (hip, knee and ankle flexo-extension).

In addition, one average folder (media) includes average data for the statistical analysis. Signals subfolder includes all segmented data from the previous variables for every speed and conditions, joining the data from every subject in one table, a total of 50 samples (10 segmented cycles x 5 subjects). Value subfolder includes maximum, minimum and ranges of motion of angular variables. Every variable has 50 rows (10 segmented cycles x 5 subjects) and 3 columns (CL, CC, and CML conditions). Also mean step width is presented, as the distance between ankle markers in the frontal plane.

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OTHERS
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1. Data dictionary
speed05: data collected at 0.5 m/s
speed1: data collected at 1 m/s
CL: Unrestricted walking condition
CC: Wearing the corset condition
CML: Attached to the robotic frame condition
R: right leg
L: left leg
x: horizontal direction
y: vertical direction
ANKLE, KNEE, HIP, COM: ankle, knee, hip, and virtual center of mass markers in the frontal plane.
HIP_lat, KNEE_lat, ANKLE_lat and TOE_lat: hip, knee, ankle, and toe tip markers in the sagittal plane.
Abd: hip abduction angle.
Hip_Angle, Knee_Angle, Ankle_Angle: hip, knee, and ankle flexo-extension angles.

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SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION AND GRANT IDs
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1. Grant Information
This work is part of the R&D project PID2021-123657OB-C32, funded by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”.