Gait analysis using wearable sensors is an inexpensive, convenient, and efficient manner of providing useful information for multiple health-related applications. As a clinical tool applied in the rehabilitation and diagnosis of medical conditions and sport activities, gait analysis using wearable sensors shows great prospects. The current paper reviews available wearable sensors and ambulatory gait analysis methods based on the various wearable sensors. After an introduction of the gait phases, the principles and features of wearable sensors used in gait analysis are provided. The gait analysis methods based on wearable sensors is divided into gait kinematics, gait kinetics, and electromyography. Studies on the current methods are reviewed, and applications in sports, rehabilitation, and clinical diagnosis are summarized separately. With the development of sensor technology and the analysis method, gait analysis using wearable sensors is expected to play an increasingly important role in clinical applications.

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Aiming at the functional requirement of climbing up the stairs, the dynamics and stability during a tracked mobile robot's climbing of stairs is studied. First, from the analysis of its cross-country performance, the mechanical structure of the tracked mobile robot is designed and the hardware composition of its control system is given. Second, based on the analysis to its stairs-climbing process, the dynamical model of stairs-climbing is established by using the classical mechanics method. Next, the stability conditions for its stairs-climbing are determined and an evaluation method of its stairs-climbing stability is proposed, based on a mechanics analysis on the robot's backwards tumbling during the stairs-climbing process. Through simulation and experiments, the effectiveness of the dynamical model and the stability evaluation method of the tracked mobile robot in stairs-climbing is verified, which can provide design and analysis foundations for the tracked mobile robots' stairs-climbing.

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As an autonomic and convenient assistance device for people with disabilities and the elderly climbing up and down stairs, electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing ability have attracted great attention in the past two decades and some various electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing were developed. By using the developed electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing, many patients with walking difficulties are able to descend the stairs conveniently to participate in outdoor activities, which are beneficial to both their physical rehabilitation and mental health. In this article, a review of electric-powered wheelchair with stair-climbing current technology is given and its future tendency is discussed to inform electric-powered wheelchair with stair-climbing researchers in the development of more applicable and popular products. Firstly, the development history is reviewed and electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing are classified based on an analysis of their stair-climbing mechanisms. The respective advantages and disadvantages of different types of electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing are outlined for an overall comparison of the control method, cost of mechanical manufacture, energy consumption, and adaption to different stairs. Insights into the future direction of stability during stair-climbing are discussed as it is an important aspect common to all electric-powered wheelchairs with stairclimbing. Finally, a summary of electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing discussed in this article is provided. As a special review to the electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing, it can provide a comprehensive understanding of the current technology about electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing and serve as a reference for the development of new electric-powered wheelchairs with stair-climbing.