Testing Parameters

Enduring and Capricious Readers alike,

I've been holding off on explaining the testing parameters for my project until I felt like I'd provided enough background information. But, in case I'm missing anything, I'll try to supplement my information with... more information. If what I say is still unclear, please comment. I love responding to any comments, especially if it helps develop your understanding of my project. 

The forward walking parameters: The subject tested at four different speeds: a self-selected speed, a slow speed of 1m/s, an average speed of 1.25m/s and a fast speed of 1.5m/s. The self-selected speed was the same for both the Winding Filament Hypothesis (WFH) and for the stock BiOM, but different for the passive device. Each test had a 5-meter fly zone--a space where the subject can catch up to speed before data recordings occur at a certain rate. After the fly zone is the recording zone--a 20 meter distance for recording data at specific speeds. Additionally, we allowed for +/- .05% error. So, when walking at 1m/s, the error would be 21 seconds or 19 seconds for the 20 meter distance. Additionally, 50 trials were performed at each speed, and each trial is one step (remember one step is from heel strike to heel strike). So, 50 trials is equal to 50 steps, in other words, 200 steps total for each device at all speeds. This is quite impressive considering how efficient the group had to be. The stock BiOM registers a lot of the data we need to see if the device meets physical standards. For example, ankle torque, ankle angle, battery life and current from the motor. 

The backward walking parameters: There was a lot less testing done for backward walking because the end of the day was nearing, meaning there was a ton of wear on the subject (who, I should remind you, is not nearly as accustomed to the BiOM as he is the passive device for reasons I brought up in previous posts, but I will reiterate: no PT/OT with the BiOM and very little practice time with the device). With BW the self selected speed was typically the same, except with the BiOM where the self-selected speed was slower than with FW, and the slow, average and fast speeds were the same for all controls. The group performed tests over a 20 meter distance and have at least 20 BW steps. 

That was a lot of information that took me a long time to process and fully understand, so if you have any questions (which I totally expect), ask away! Next time, we will cover data analysis. 

Pooja