Feasibility of a new soft ankle exoskeleton on people with dropfoot post-stroke
Xiaochen Zhang, Axel Fredriksen, Elena M. Gutierrez-Farewik, Susanne Palmcrantz · 2026
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Description
Xiaochen Zhang and colleagues trialed a soft robotic ankle brace on stroke survivors whose feet drag when they walk. Their feasibility study appeared in Wearable Technologies in 2026. Dropfoot after stroke comes from weak lifting muscles and mistimed activation, and it trips people by catching the toes. Five people with chronic stroke walked in ordinary shoes, then with the fabric exoskeleton switched off, then powered, while motion cameras tracked every joint.
Powered assistance lifted the foot higher through the swing, restored heel-first contact, and kept the ankle from rolling inward. Step lengths also grew slightly more even between the legs. Users rated the device satisfying on a standard questionnaire, though comfort complaints surfaced for the designers to fix. The authors call the prototype feasible and worth a larger trial. Five walkers cannot prove therapy value, only promise.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Xiaochen Zhang, Axel Fredriksen, Elena M. Gutierrez-Farewik, Susanne Palmcrantz |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 42 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |