BACKGROUND Human beings regularly walk over even and uneven surfaces during their daily activities. A human being with lower limb disability needs an exoskeleton to walk independently. However, walking surface irregularities increase the risk of falling of exoskeleton users. This falling tendency can be minimized by balancing the exoskeleton on irregular surface profiles against the gait cycle variation. Gait variation is studied using quality EMG signals obtained from the gastrocnemius and hamstring muscle activity during uneven surface walking. OBJECTIVE The present study compares the activity of hamstring and gastrocnemius muscles during walking on a treadmill, utilizing both even and uneven planes. METHODS Integrated electromyography signals from eight healthy male subjects are collected while walking on a treadmill, even and uneven planes. Muscle activity variation on these planes is studied using two-way ANOVA with replications. RESULTS The results show that hamstring muscle activity registers a sound variation in swing phase but has no variation in stance phase over all three planes, whereas gastrocnemius muscle activity changes between swing and stance phases over even and uneven planes during forward walking. CONCLUSIONS The results illustrate that the gait cycle variation depends on surface irregularities which indicates the importance of surface consideration.

中文翻译：

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利用肌肉活动调查表面不规则处的步态周期偏差。

背景技术人类在日常活动中经常走过平坦且不平坦的表面。下肢残疾的人需要外骨骼独立行走。但是，行走表面不规则会增加外骨骼使用者跌倒的风险。通过平衡不规则表面轮廓上的外骨骼和步态周期变化，可以使这种下降趋势最小化。使用从腓肠肌和绳肌活动不平坦的表面行走过程中获得的优质EMG信号研究步态变化。目的本研究比较了在平坦的和不平坦的平面上在跑步机上行走时绳肌和腓肠肌的活动。方法在跑步机上，平坦和不平坦的平面上行走时，收集来自八个健康男性受试者的综合肌电信号。使用双向ANOVA和复制研究了这些平面上的肌肉活动变化。结果结果表明，绳肌的活动在摆动阶段表现出良好的变化，但在所有三个平面上的站立阶段均无变化，而腓肠肌的活动在向前行走过程中在平坦和不平坦的平面上的摆动阶段和站立阶段之间发生变化。结论结果表明，步态周期的变化取决于表面的不规则性，这表明了考虑表面的重要性。而腓肠肌的活动在向前行走过程中在平坦和不平坦的平面上的摇摆和站立阶段之间变化。结论结果表明，步态周期的变化取决于表面的不规则性，这表明了考虑表面的重要性。而腓肠肌的活动在向前行走过程中在平坦和不平坦的平面上的摇摆和站立阶段之间变化。结论结果表明，步态周期的变化取决于表面的不规则性，这表明了考虑表面的重要性。