title: A review of the functionalities of smart walkers.
abstract: There is a need to conceptualize and improve the investigation and developments in assistive devices, focusing on the design and effectiveness of walkers in the user's rehabilitation process and functional compensation. This review surveys the importance of smart walkers in maintaining mobility and discusses their potential in rehabilitation and their demands as assistive devices. It also presents related research in addressing and quantifying the smart walker's efficiency and influence on gait. Besides, it discusses smart walkers focusing on studies related to the concept of autonomous and shared-control and manual guidance, the use of smart walkers as personal helpers to sit-to-stand and diagnostic tools for patients' rehabilitation through the evaluation of their gait.
authors: Industrial Electronics Department, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal. Electronic address: mariam@dei.uminho.pt.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Martins
authors: Industrial Electronics Department, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal. Electronic address: cristina@dei.uminho.pt.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Santos
authors: Electrical Engineering Department, Federal University of Espirito Santo (UFES), Av. Fernando Ferrari 514, Vitoria, ES, Brazil. Electronic address: frizera@ieee.org.
authors: Anselmo
authors: A
authors: Frizera
authors: Bioengineering Group, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Crta. Campo Real Km 0.200, Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: ceres@iai.csic.es.
authors: Ramón
authors: R
authors: Ceres
mesh_terms: D003201:Computers; D006801:Humans; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014853:Walkers
keywords: Smart walkers