Researchers from UMA design a pediatric walker that facilitates walking for children with severe motor disabilities

A team of researchers from the Clinical Biomechanics Laboratory of Andalusia (BIOCLINA) and the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Málaga (UMA), in collaboration with the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy), has developed a pediatric walker that facilitates walking for children with functional diversity, specifically with pathologies that can severely affect mobility such as cerebral palsy.

To achieve this, it incorporates sensors in its structure that record clinical information about the patient during the time the walker is used. This data provides medical professionals and physiotherapists with useful information for defining treatments and planning rehabilitation goals.

Another advantage of this device, registered as a utility model - a form of legal protection designed to protect inventions - is its ability to adapt to the pathology and to the patient's physiognomy and growth, meaning it adjusts, on one hand, to the degree and type of support the child requires, and on the other, it adapts to their weight and size. It is sized for children from 4 to 11 years old. Additionally, it is lightweight and easy to transport, as it has a foldable structure.

This pediatric walker consists of a mechanical structure, which provides the necessary support for the patient to walk, and an electronic part made up of a series of sensors and a microcontroller that handles data collection. Specifically, the mechanical part has a base that includes four wheels for greater stability and ease of movement. It also has a 'U' shape to aid the patient's accessibility.

As support systems, it has a support holder for the head, chest, pelvis, or groin, which can be used or removed according to the needs of each user. Additionally, one of the front wheels includes a foot brake, and the base of the walker has a second anti-shock wheel on its perimeter, for better protection against any possible impact.

Regarding the electronic part, it has several sensors installed on the walker itself and others placed on the patient's body. Thus, the sensors located on the walker obtain indicators of the force that the patient exerts on the seat and the hand support primarily. Meanwhile, those worn by the patient record information about the posture of the trunk and the muscular activity of the upper body, namely, the chest, back, shoulders, arms, and abdomen.

The information is stored on a server that it reaches via wireless technology or, alternatively, it is stored on a memory card associated with the computer. With this information, the rehabilitator, physiotherapist, or occupational therapist can evaluate the patient's progress outside the clinical environment and quantify the results of the treatments in a context beyond the hospital setting and incorporate it into new treatments.

In this way, healthcare personnel can have objective information about the patient's routine. "There are patients who receive physiotherapy in an early care center, at school, or in a hospital for a limited time, where specific parameters are worked on that sometimes cannot be extrapolated. We are interested in knowing empirical results from their day-to-day life and with this walker we can have access to this information, from whether it is necessary to correct any posture or if they should perform certain exercises, also promoting participation with their peers," says Rita Romero, a researcher from the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Málaga and co-author of this utility model, to the Descubre Foundation, an organism dependent on the Ministry of University, Research and Innovation.

The first motion sensor of the walker, installed in one of the front wheels, records the instantaneous speed and allows complementing the general data of walking training speed, obtained from the distance traveled and the time spent. A second sensor, located at the rear and on the opposite side of the front, quantifies the ability to follow a straight path. This data monitoring system operates autonomously, so it can be used both in clinical settings and outside them. "The walker records all the patient's movements during their daily activity with the help of their usual caregivers and is easy to use. In fact, it does not require them to have specialized training," emphasizes Romero.

Moreover, this walker facilitates personal and group autonomy. "By carrying the structure behind, the patient frees their hands, thereby promoting training, entertainment, and rehabilitation through a stable and safe system. Another important factor is that it allows them to interact with other people, from playing with their peers to walking with the family," comments María Prado, a researcher at the Clinical Biomechanics Laboratory of Andalusia at the University of Málaga.

During the design of this walker, funded by the University of Málaga, the authors have considered that the mechanical structure functions without the electronic part as a conventional orthopedic instrument for walking training in open spaces, such as parks or recreation areas.

After conducting tests with children without motor difficulties and verifying the usability of the walker, the next step is to validate it in pediatric patients with different pathologies, as well as to incorporate artificial intelligence to extract temporal parameters and kinematic variables of walking, such as position, speed, or displacement.