There is a description of the first stage of researches aimed at equipping with the computer vision system (hereinafter “VS”) for the simulator being developed for the rehabilitation of spinal patients who suffer paraplegia, i.e. legs motionlessness caused by spinal trauma. Based on the VS information it is supposed to develop some software tools to solve the issue of mechatronics of the bio-simulator in order to create artificial motions of the paralyzed legs imitating natural legged movement. There’s discussed a hardware- and software-based make-up of the system, methods of data-acquisition concerning the leg movements of a healthy person and that of the one supplied with the simulator. There’re given results of the first experiments aimed at acquiring data needed for the analysis of the geometry parameters of the leg movement when walking. There’ve been received some accuracy assessments to define angles and angular velocities in the hip, knee joint, and mortis joint of a healthy person when walking. Similar evaluations have been performed for the mechanical analogue of human legs based on the above-said VS. The following lines of research are being developed now.

Biomechatronic training apparatus, vision system, geometrical and dynamic parameters of walking, artificial legs movements

Theoretical and applied problems of mechanics