Learning to walk again after breaking a leg or hip, having a stroke, prosthetic, or partial paralysis depends on a lot of persistence and an excellent rehabilitation program that can guide you through gait training. Movement scientist Dr. Melvyn Roerdink from The Netherlands has developed a super smart, oversized treadmill that helps rehab patients gain confidence in their new gaits, with bells, whistles, and even light shows.
The Forcelink C-Mill lights the way to a new gait: ©Forcelink
The C-Mill, manufactured by Dutch company Forcelink, which specializes in creating treadmills with instruments that calculate data on gait parameters like stride length, width, frequency and symmetry. Based on these calculations, the C-Mill patterns a patient’s current gait with lit visual cues on the walking belt. From there, the light cues gradually change towards the ideal gait for the patient. Sound cues are used to help patients acquire a rhythmic gait.
But we don’t just walk on flat surfaces. The C-Mill also trains patients in obstacle avoidance. so that they can adapt their steps in time to avoid any obstacles and uneven surfaces,
Here is a short video of the C-Mill in operation:
The C-Mill has already been installed in several Dutch rehabilitation facilities as well as some in other countries.
sources: ForceLink via Medical Xpress
