Walk

If someone steals your smartphone, the harder it is for them to unlock it, the better. New research shows how gait analysis could provide an added layer of security, by authenticating a user's identity based on the way they walk.

Lower-body exoskeletons don't merely thrust the wearer's legs forward – they move them based on the user's existing gait. A team at Harvard University has now developed what is claimed to be a better method of gauging that gait, utilizing ultrasound.

As a senior's sense of balance deteriorates, their chances of experiencing a serious fall increase accordingly. Help may be on the way, however, in the form of a system that buzzes the user's fingertip in order to keep them upright.

All walking animals have something in common – their preferred walking speed is largely determined by what's known as "resonance." Bearing this in mind, scientists have calculated what may have been the default walking speed of Tyrannosaurus rex.

Although there are rigs that allow gamers to walk on the spot while their avatar walks in a VR environment, such setups tend to be large and complex. A new system, however, simulates walking simply by buzzing the seated user's feet.

A new study has demonstrated how differences in walking patterns might help in distinguishing Alzheimer’s disease from other types of dementia, by focusing on one specific aspect of the patient’s gait.

If someone suffers from bilateral vestibular hypofunction, it means that their inner ear doesn't maintain their sense balance. As a result, they get dizzy easily. A new implant, however, appears to bypass the problem, significantly reducing vertigo.

Presently, in order to get a detailed analysis of their walking gait, patients have to travel to a clinic where they walk on a pressure-sensitive mat. That could be about to change, though, thanks to a new wearable system.

Upon first seeing a dog-like quadruped robot for the first time, many people jokingly ask where they could buy one. Well, they can now get a fully functional miniature dog-bot of their very own via a Kickstarter campaign, for just US$195.

Chances are that if you think of someone who uses a walker, you picture them sedately making their way down a smooth sidewalk. Well, Rob's Walkers are for those other walker-users, who like getting into the woods and going off-road.

We've already heard about various smartphone-linked devices that determine if the user is intoxicated. According to a new study, though, even a phone on its own can be used to measure a person's drunkenness.

When someone has suffered a stroke, they may have difficulty regaining a proper walking gait. An experimental new device could help, though, by springing up their heel with each step.