Training to Improve the Landing of an Uninjured Leg in Crutch Walk Using AR Technology to Present an Obstacle

Abstract

A patient who unexpectedly sustains a lower leg injury often uses crutches for walking, to both assist the patient and prevent further injury until a full recovery is made. In this study, a novel crutch walk training system was developed; a head-mounted display (HMD) was introduced to present a virtual obstacle for trainees using crutches. Through repetitions of the training, it was expected that the trainees would improve their overall body stability. Healthy subjects participated in experimental training exercises using the developed training system. As a result, the participants acquired the skill of walking well with crutches without losing their body balance significantly, even in the event of facing a virtual obstacle, during the five training sessions.