Novel Method for Investigating Joint Impedance During Walking Presented at RehabWeek 2025

OAt RehabWeek 2025, Michele Paravano from the University of Twente presented a poster featuring research co-authored with Mohamed Irfan Refai, Herman van der Kooij, and Massimo Sartori on joint impedance during the stance phase of walking, carried out as part of the SWAG project.

The work addresses the measurement of joint impedance, which is the joint’s resistance to movement under external forces, a crucial factor in how the musculoskeletal and nervous systems adapt to changes.

The team introduced a novel pusher-based perturbation method during the stance phase, offering advantages over existing exoskeleton-based or platform-based methods, including easier setup and the ability to assess multiple joints under stance and swing.

Data was acquired using motion capture, a pusher system, a load cell, and an instrumented treadmill. The impedance estimation employed a mechanical equivalent model to estimate stiffness and damping parameters. Results showcased the perturbation-induced changes in joint angles and torques, and the impedance estimates derived from those changes.

See the poster here.