2026-04-17T11:53:37Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:2117/3925772026-01-30T07:13:17Zcom_2072_1033col_2072_452950

00925njm 22002777a 4500 dc Díaz Boladeras, Marta author Llanas Parra, Francesc Xavier author Fernández Carmona, Manuel author Català Mallofré, Andreu author Urdiales García, Cristina author Musté Rodríguez, Marta author Pérez Guindal, Elsa author Barco Martelo, Alexandre author 2023-07-13 In assisted ambulation, the user’s psychological comfort has a significant impact not only on acceptability of mobility aids but also on overall gait performance. Specifically, in the case of rollators, negative states such as distress may result in balance loss, inefficient manoeuvres, and an increased risk of falling. This paper presents a pilot study to investigate the effect of distress on rollator assisted navigation. To achieve this goal, a novel test protocol is proposed to assess distress while walking with a rollator, using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) questionnaire. First, the participant completes a standardised visual stress induction test and fills in a SAM questionnaire on the dimensions of arousal and valence, to establish personal benchmarks. Then, they complete a course consisting of four navigation tasks with different levels of difficulty that affect the rollator manoeuvrability, filling in a SAM questionnaire after each task. An experiment including 25 healthy volunteers has been completed. Our preliminary results show that stressors like uneven or sloping surfaces increase perceived stress, whereas the shape of the trajectory does not significantly affect stress. The ultimate purpose of this work is to validate a performance-oriented protocol to investigate the dynamics of stress response in assisted walk and to train automatic stress detection systems. The work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación [RTI2018-096701-B-C22]; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades [RTI2018-096701-B-C21 (SAVIA:]; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades [RTI2018-096701-B-C21]; Universidad de Málaga [E3-PROYECTOS DE PRUEBA DE CONCEPTO (E3/02/18)]. Peer Reviewed Postprint (published version) Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Ciències de la salut Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria biomèdica Anxiety Self-help devices for people with disabilities Stress assessment Assisted gait analysis Emotion elicitation Stress induction tests Self-assessment manikin Angoixa Ajuts tecnològics per a les persones grans Perceived distress in assisted gait with a four-wheeled rollator under stress induction conditions