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This paper aims to propose a novel system design and control algorithm of lower limb exoskeleton, which provides walking assistance and load sharing for the wearer.

In this paper, the valve-controlled asymmetrical hydraulic cylinder is selected for driving the hip and knee joint of exoskeleton. Pressure shoe is developed that purpose on detecting changes in plantar force, and a fuzzy recognition algorithm using plantar pressure is proposed. Dynamic model of the exoskeleton is established, and the sliding mode control is developed to implement the position tracking of exoskeleton. A series of prototype experiments including benchtop test, full assistance, partial assistance and loaded walking experiments are set up to verify the tracking performance and power-assisted effect of the proposed exoskeleton.

The control performance of PID control and sliding mode control are compared. The experimental data shows the tracking trajectories and tracking errors of sliding mode control and demonstrate its good robustness to nonlinearities. sEMG of the gastrocnemius muscle tends to be significantly weakened during assisted walking.

In this paper, a structure that the knee joint and hip joint driven by the valve-controlled asymmetrical cylinder is used to provide walking assistance for the wearer. The sliding mode control is proposed to deal with the nonlinearities during joint rotation and fluids. It shows great robustness and frequency adaptability through experiments under different motion frequencies and assistance modes. The design and control method of exoskeleton is a good attempt, which takes positive impacts on the productivity or quality of the life of wearers.

This paper aims to concentrate on recent innovations in flexible wearable sensor technology tailored for monitoring vital signals within the contexts of wearable sensors and systems developed specifically for monitoring health and fitness metrics.

In recent decades, wearable sensors for monitoring vital signals in sports and health have advanced greatly. Vital signals include electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyography, inertial data, body motions, cardiac rate and bodily fluids like blood and sweating, making them a good choice for sensing devices.

This report reviewed reputable journal articles on wearable sensors for vital signal monitoring, focusing on multimode and integrated multi-dimensional capabilities like structure, accuracy and nature of the devices, which may offer a more versatile and comprehensive solution.

The paper provides essential information on the present obstacles and challenges in this domain and provide a glimpse into the future directions of wearable sensors for the detection of these crucial signals. Importantly, it is evident that the integration of modern fabricating techniques, stretchable electronic devices, the Internet of Things and the application of artificial intelligence algorithms has significantly improved the capacity to efficiently monitor and leverage these signals for human health monitoring, including disease prediction.

This study discusses the tracking trajectory issue of the exoskeleton under the bounded disturbance and designs an useful tracking trajectory control method to solve it. By using the proposed control method, the tracking error can be successfully convergence to the assigned boundary. Meanwhile, the chattering effect caused by the actuators is already reduced, and the tracking performance of the pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) elbow exoskeleton is improved effectively.

A prescribed performance sliding mode control method was developed in this study to fulfill the joint position tracking trajectory task on the elbow exoskeleton driven by two PAMs. In terms of the control structure, a dynamic model was built by conforming to the adaptive law to compensate for the time variety and uncertainty exhibited by the system. Subsequently, a super-twisting algorithm-based second-order sliding mode control method was subjected to the exoskeleton under the boundedness of external disturbance. Moreover, the prescribed performance control method exhibits a smooth prescribed function with an error transformation function to ensure the tracking error can be finally convergent to the pre-designed requirement.

From the theoretical perspective, the stability of the control method was verified through Lyapunov synthesis. On that basis, the tracking performance of the proposed control method was confirmed through the simulation and the manikin model experiment.

As revealed by the results of this study, the proposed control method sufficiently applies to the PAMs elbow exoskeleton for tracking trajectory, which means it has potential application in the actual robot-assisted passive rehabilitation tasks.

This study intends to analyze the trend of walkability research over two years (2021–2022) in several aspects, including the research problem, gap and aim underlying walkability issues, research setting, the scale of analysis, the type of data, the data collection tool, the analysis method and contribution.

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) is employed to conduct a systematic literature review from three leading databases including Web of Science (WoS), Scopus and Sage.

From the review, it can be concluded that the research focuses on two aspects, namely, the built environment and people. The studies in this field are conducted at different scales of the built environment, from macroscale to microscale, including region, city, neighborhood and street-level studies that are conducted around the world including Asia, Europe and America which receive high attention from researchers. Meanwhile, the study of walkability in Australia and Africa gains less attention. It is revealed that there are four factors of walkability including land use and accessibility for macroscale which cover region, city and neighborhood, while street network and pedestrian infrastructure and facility are mainly analyzed for street-level. Most of the studies widely utilize a quantitative approach for analyzing physical walkability factors in a measurement-based approach by using certain tools/software, and a perception-based approach by using questionnaires.

The findings can assist to keep up with the rapid pace of scientific publications and help accelerate the understanding of particular ideas in the field of walkability for the planning and design practice and policy that can be used by researchers/academia, urban designers, urban planners, architects, engineers and policymakers. Also, this study hopefully could assist further research direction for the future and could add value to a more advanced way of understanding the research on walkability.

This research provides a robust framework for walkability trend analysis and a comprehensive understanding of the main ideas from the existing research on walkability worldwide.

This paper studies the role of heritage walks and tours in promoting inclusive education. It assesses if these walks are an effective method of exhibiting culture and facilitating inclusive heritage learning. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to establish that walks can play an imperative role in creating greater sensitivity towards heritage and conservation.

The study uses a case study approach using mixed methods. Participants for qualitative interviews were chosen using purposive sampling and six interview schedules were sent to walk leaders. Walk participant data were collected through participant observation and standardised survey with randomly selected participants of the case walks. Surveys were sent to participants electronically.

Heritage walks play a crucial role in not only imparting knowledge about history and heritage but also as a tool for learning other crucial skills, competencies, values, attitudes, etc. This paper attempts to highlight that walks are an effective and inclusive way to shed light on the alternative and forgotten stories. As an educational tool these walks can not only encourage the development of historical knowledge and appreciation but also assist in the development of competency to “de-construct” mainstream “grand narratives”, questioning and learning about the forgotten.

This paper has limited itself to the study of select cases in New Delhi. Since the study has followed a case study design, it does not produce a largely generalizable result, but rather examines and understands the dynamics of particular walks and produces insights that may well be applicable in other contexts. Whilst this paper makes an attempt to understand the changes in perception and attitudes, it does not study behavioural changes.

In the long run, walks allow for meaningful citizen engagement with tangible heritage such as monuments as well as intangible heritage such as practices and festivals. This allows for appreciation for the value of heritage resources and leads to a demand for better conservation and preservation from the authorities. In a few cases, local citizens themselves lead heritage management and development activities in a bid to promote their local culture. This paper has shown that heritage walks can be helpful tools in giving “forgotten” voices and stories recognition in contemporary society.

As heritage walks have recently gained popularity, there has been very limited research in the field especially linking heritage walks to heritage education. This is especially true for India. Even a city like New Delhi, which boasts of a robust heritage and is one of the tourism hubs of the country, heritage walks have been a very recent phenomenon. This research aims to address this lacuna in academic research and contribute meaningfully to the field of heritage education and conservation by studying how heritage walks support and promote inclusive heritage education.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is an occlusive atherosclerotic disease that affects blood vessels and reduces blood flow in the lower limbs. It is estimated that around 200 million people worldwide suffered from it, with a significant number of older people affected. Walking is one of the first-line therapeutic measures for intermittent claudication (IC) in patients with PAD. Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) programs effectively increase walking distances, however, remain an underutilized tool because they are not readily available in most clinical centres, are extremely expensive, and patient participation is low mainly due to socioeconomic constraints. Home-based Exercise Therapy (HBET) programs are an effective and low-cost alternative to improve both the functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) of patients with IC, as they are performed in the patient’s area of residence and not in the hospital. The WalkingPad program conciliated a smartphone app – the WalkingPad app – with behaviour change intervention to increase walking distances and decrease walking impairment as well to improve QoL at 6 months.

This paper aims to explore and review the potential of robotic rehabilitation as a treatment approach for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its impact on the health and quality of life of AD patients.

The present discourse endeavors to provide a comprehensive overview of extant scholarly inquiries that have examined the salience of inhibitory mechanisms vis-à-vis robotic interventions and their impact on patients with AD. Specifically, this review aims to explicate the contemporary state of affairs in this realm by furnishing a detailed explication of ongoing research endeavors. With the objective of elucidating the significance of inhibitory processes in robotic therapies for individuals with AD, this analysis offers a critical appraisal of extant literature that probes the intersection of cognitive mechanisms and assistive technologies. Through a meticulous analysis of diverse scholarly contributions, this review advances a nuanced understanding of the intricate interplay between inhibitory processes and robotic interventions in the context of AD.

According to the review papers, it appears that implementing robot-assisted rehabilitation can serve as a pragmatic and effective solution for enhancing the well-being and overall quality of life of patients and families engaged with AD. Besides, this new feature in the robotic area is anticipated to have a critical role in the success of this innovative approach.

Due to the nascent nature of this cutting-edge technology and the constrained configuration of the mechanized entity in question, further protracted analysis is imperative to ascertain the advantages and drawbacks of robotic rehabilitation vis-à-vis individuals afflicted with Alzheimer’s ailment.

The potential for robots to serve as indispensable assets in the provision of care for individuals afflicted with AD is significant; however, their efficacy and appropriateness for utilization by caregivers of AD patients must be subjected to further rigorous scrutiny.

This paper reviews the current robotic method and compares the current state of the art for the AD patient.

The study aims to explore how including biophilic elements in the architectural and interior design of assisted living facilities can improve the well-being and quality of life of older people. This research paper explores the concept of biophilic design and its potential benefits for assisted living facilities.

A total of 39 peer-reviewed articles were reviewed. The research involved a comprehensive review of databases such as Scopus, EBSCO, Elsevier, JSTOR and Google Scholar using keywords and Boolean operators with reference to the study. The study’s inclusion criteria for articles were restricted to academic articles published between 2013 and 2022. The analysis of the current research will offer insights into the concept of biophilic design research and its impact on the well-being and quality of life of baby boomers in assisted living facilities.

The research advocates the benefits of biophilic design to enhance the psychological well-being and quality of life of baby boomers dwelling in assisted living facilities. Biophilic design is a strategy that blends natural elements into built environments to improve our connection with nature to enhance the physical and psychological health of older people. In the context of assisted living facilities, where residents commonly experience a variety of physical and psychological health concerns, adopting biophilic design in architecture holds enormous promise.

The research focuses on applying biophilic design in assisted living facilities and its holistic approach to the overall well-being of older people. The conceptual model proposed in the study has defined the positive aspects of the biophilic design on the psychological and physiological health of older people. Few studies have been done on the impact of biophilic design, specifically on baby boomers.