Engaging Kids With Robotic Exoskeletons and Gamification

Engaging Kids and Improving Rehab Outcomes by Gamification of Robotic Exoskeletons Combined With Proprioceptive Biofeedback

Conduct a clinical field trial at CHOA's Day Rehab Program using the clinical exoskeleton in conjunction with visual biofeedback with pediatric patients who present with genu recurvatum or crouch gait over 5 rehabilitation visits.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Crouch Gait; Genu Recurvatum
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Pediatric Knee Exoskeleton

Detailed Description

For children, mobility is a crucial activity of daily living and age-appropriate play, influencing their independence and overall quality of life. However, children with physical disabilities often experience participation restrictions especially related to physical activity. The ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) notes that participation is a key contributor toward a person's overall quality of life. However, children with disabilities often experience significant participation restrictions especially related to physical activity with some studies citing that less than half of children with disabilities are physically active. Participation in physical activity allows for all the benefits associated with social engagement, belonging and autonomy, influencing a child's independence and overall development. Additionally, physical activity provides the benefits of improved health related fitness, including strength and flexibility. For children with gait impairments, lack of independence may hinder development and then compound through further loss of mobility. Some of the most encountered pediatric pathologies (CP, Spina Bifida and TBI) impact physical mobility, and clinical presentations often present with aberrant motor control of the knee. Clinical presentations may vary between genu recurvatum or crouch gaits and can be confounded with various lower limb alignment presentations as well. These abnormal walking patterns can lead to detrimental long-term effects including increased stress on soft tissue structures which often leads to permanent joint deformity if left untreated, reduced locomotion capability/ independence, increased energy expenditure and pain. The investigator team has developed an autonomous bilateral research-grade pediatric knee exoskeleton, and the investigators' data on N=10 children show the investigators have addressed an initial need for an effective pediatric knee exoskeleton from previous work. However, work is still needed to encourage: 1. real-world accessibility and usability of the device in a clinic setting outside of the research laboratory, 2. long-term retention of the intervention beyond the immediate therapeutic session, and 3. fun and active patient engagement during exoskeleton use. In this study, the investigators aim to develop and test a clinically friendly, pediatric knee exoskeleton integrated with a visual biofeedback video game to improve gait related outcomes and contribute toward improved mobility in children with walking impairment. Early intervention to engage children in their rehab along with enjoyable participation may lead to improved long-term outcomes for children and their families.

The investigators will conduct a small-scale feasibility study in which N=5 patient participants will undergo 5 sessions of experimental therapeutic rehabilitation sessions with the exoskeleton and the visual biofeedback game. Participants will use the device for a maximum of 2 hours per session for 5 sessions. Sessions will be scheduled as is convenient for the participant's schedule with a goal of having one night and no more than 1 week between consecutive sessions. Outcomes will be monitored before and after each session.

The investigators hypothesize that patient outcomes, inclusive of both functional and patient reported metrics, will significantly improve from the initial baseline visit to the final evaluation after 5 sessions of therapy. Finally, the investigators will analyze the device efficacy and family/therapist survey data to implement improvements to the exoskeleton and biofeedback game in the future.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 5
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Kinsey Herrin, MSPO; Phone Number: 470-578-7600; Email: kinsey.herrin@gatech.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Georgia
    • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30342
      • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Scottish Rite
      • Contact: Kinsey Herrin, MSPO; Phone Number: 470-578-7600; Email: kinsey.herrin@gatech.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Kinsey Herrin, MSPO

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 4-21 years
• Clinical presence of genu recurvatum or crouch gait during walking
• Ability to walk nonstop for at least 6 minutes
• Willing to participate in 5 sessions of therapy with the device with each session lasting no more than 2 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to take commands from research staff
• Receipt of Botox injection during study trial will disqualify the participant from participating further
• Presence of uncontrolled seizures
• Non-English speaking

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Device Feasibility
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Pediatric Knee Exoskeleton; N=5 patient participants will undergo 5 sessions of experimental therapeutic rehabilitation sessions with the exoskeleton and the visual biofeedback game. Participants will use the device for a maximum of 2 hours per session for 5 sessions.

Device: Pediatric Knee Exoskeleton; The current knee exoskeleton is designed specifically for use in children. The device can be operated either bilaterally or unilaterally and is capable of providing 10- 17.4 Nm of torque assistance at the knee joint which is ~60% of the average biological joint torque for an American 15 year old child. It is adjustable in height such that the passive hip joint and powered knee joint can be placed at the correct anatomical location for each child. Thigh and calf cuffs are interchangeable to accommodate varying leg sizes. The device is autonomous, allowing a child to move freely and can even be used outdoors. The device can accommodate for varying lower limb alignment presentations, adjusting to accommodate for varying femoral rotations and varum and valgum alignments at the knee. The device can be worn independently of the visual biofeedback video game, but is intended for participants to use in conjunction with the knee exoskeleton.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
10 meter walk test	The participant walks a 10 meter distance while their speed is recorded. Higher speeds are indicative of a more positive outcome.	5 weeks
2 minute walk test	The participant walks as far as they can walk in a period of 2 minutes and the distance is recorded. Greater distances are indicative of improved performance.	5 weeks
Modified Timed Up and Go	Participants are seated in a stable stool selected according to the height of subjects. The stool is positioned such that it does not move when the participant moves from sitting to standing. Participant is seated with feet flat on the floor in such a way that hip and knee remained in 90° of flexion. A marking tape was used to stick a star mark on the wall at a distance of 3 m from the chair. Participant is instructed to stand up, walk, touch the star and sit back down while being timed. Shorter times are indicative of improved performance.	5 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire	Family/patient reported survey which asks questions about their perception of the child's mobility.	5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Georgia Institute of Technology
• Collaborators: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kinsey Herrin, MSPO, Georgia Institute of Technology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): October 17, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 16, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exoskeleton; Pediatric walking impairment; Knee exoskeleton; Knee hyperextension; Knee crouch gait
• Other Study ID Numbers: H24360

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No