# Robotic Apparel to Enable Low Force Haptic Cueing for Improving Parkinson's Gait

> **NIH NIH U01** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $377,000

## Abstract

This cross-disciplinary research involving cyber-physical systems (CPS), wearable robotics, physical
therapy and functional apparel aims to design and validate a robotic apparel human-in-the-loop CPS for
 restoring automaticity and synchronization of movement for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in
community settings. Additionally, integrated wearable sensors will facilitate data analytics to assess gait
 performance during everyday activities and communicate this to the wearer and their caregiver. The
 prevalence of PD is expected to double to 9 million by 2030. Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in
 the substantia nigra of the midbrain lead to a loss of the normal internal cueing mechanism for gait that
 leads to impaired regulation of stride length, reduced gait speed, altered cadence and stride time
 variability. Science of Robotic Apparel Human-in-the-Loop CPS: The hypothesis is that individuals with
 PD may benefit from a robotic apparel CPS able to provide continuous physical cueing to the hip/ankle to
 prevent gait from deteriorating while not imparting a cognitive load. Auditory, visual and verbal cues
 have shown promise in regulating gait characteristics of persons with PD but require attention, thus
 interfering with daily activities. In contrast, a robotic apparel CPS will do so in a manner that is less
 perceptible. Technology for Robotic Apparel Human-in-the-Loop CPS: The technical requirements for
 actuation, sensors, and functional apparel needed to realize the proposed robotic apparel CPS vision are
 different than those for traditional exoskeletons, necessitating fundamental technological development to
 enable systems that can deliver small physical cues to a wearer through lightweight, comfortable and
 nonrestrictive platform. Engineering of Robotic Apparel Human-in-the-Loop CPS: This project will involve
 the engineering development of a novel CPS system across its lifespan from initial conceptual design to
 eventual validation in human subjects testing. An iterative development process of
 actuation/textile/control components will be based on target specifications guided by the knowledge
 gained from ongoing human subject testing.
RELEVANCE (See instructions):
 Cyber-physical systems that interact with humans are becoming increasingly commonplace and have
 significant potential for society. We believe that individuals with Parkinson's Disease may benefit from a
 robotic apparel able to provide continuous physical cueing to the hip/ankle to prevent gait from
 deteriorating while not imparting a cognitive load.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10263918
- **Project number:** 5U01TR002775-04
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Theresa Ellis
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $377,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10263918

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10263918, Robotic Apparel to Enable Low Force Haptic Cueing for Improving Parkinson's Gait (5U01TR002775-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10263918. Licensed CC0.

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