{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T00:48:51Z","timestamp":1760057331302,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,5]],"date-time":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738713600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"JST SPRING, Japan","award":["JPMJSP2106","24KJ1072","23H0 1326"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JPMJSP2106","24KJ1072","23H0 1326"]}]},{"name":"Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows, Japan","award":["JPMJSP2106","24KJ1072","23H0 1326"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JPMJSP2106","24KJ1072","23H0 1326"]}]},{"name":"JSPS KAKENHI, Japan","award":["JPMJSP2106","24KJ1072","23H0 1326"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JPMJSP2106","24KJ1072","23H0 1326"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Robotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>There is an urgent need for a gait assisting device that simultaneously compensates for the loss of gait function reducing ankle plantarflexion torque and limited dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM). In this work, a walking assistance is proposed by using a device with an independent link attached on the ankle joint. We investigated the effect of the independent link on ankle joint torque and the assisted motion range via analysis. The results of the analysis revealed that the proposed device could assist patients with limited ankle dorsiflexion ROM and low plantarflexion strength simultaneously. For patients with mild dorsiflexion ROM limitation of the ankle joint (7\u00b0 or more), it was found that walking within the limited ROM is possible and that a large assisting torque is possible by front side link assistance. The ankle torque load can be reduced by 60% under the conditions of this work. For patients with severe ankle dorsiflexion ROM limitation (2\u00b0 or more, 6\u00b0 or less), it was found that walking within the ROM was possible and that torque assistance is possible by back side link assistance. The ankle joint torque load can be reduced by 30% under the proposed conditions in this work.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/robotics14020020","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,5]],"date-time":"2025-02-05T10:09:52Z","timestamp":1738750192000},"page":"20","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Effects of Independent Links of the Lower Leg on the Ankle Joint in Walking Assistance"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-9212-1445","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Takamaru","family":"Saito","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Institute of Science Tokyo), Ookayama Campus, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4727-2022","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ming","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Institute of Science Tokyo), Ookayama Campus, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9388-4391","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Ceccarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Robot Mechatronics, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Roma, Italy"},{"name":"International Research Frontiers Initiative, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Institute of Science Tokyo), Tokyo 152-8550, Japan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6910-3329","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yukio","family":"Takeda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Institute of Science Tokyo), Ookayama Campus, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"306","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-199723050-00004","article-title":"Walking to Health","volume":"23","author":"Morris","year":"1997","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Vigen, A., Zhang, Y., Jean, P., and Le, B. 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