VST 2: simulating real-world terrains for clinical rehabilitation and athletic training

Commercialization of the Variable Stiffness Treadmill 2 (VST 2) The Opportunity Real-world locomotion occurs on dynamic terrains, yet rehab and robotic testing rely on rigid surfaces. To bridge this, my lab developed the Variable Stiffness Treadmill 2 (VST 2)—a robotic platform that continuously and independently modulates surface stiffness. We seek industry partners to translate this technology into clinical, athletic, and industrial markets.

Core Technology The VST 2 is a proprietary, split-belt robotic treadmill simulating environments from compliant (mud/foam) to rigid ground.

• Mechanism: Third-class lever system for precise vertical deflection.
• Stiffness: Continuous modulation from 13 kN/m to 1.5 MN/m.
• Footprint: 0.74 m2 walking surface.
• Sensors: High-resolution sensors record ground reaction forces and center of pressure per belt.

Metrics & Data

• Validation: Stiffness tracking errors <1% (standard deviation <2.2 kN/m).
• Algorithms: Predicts user intent on soft surfaces with up to 83% accuracy.
• Datasets: Multimodal data from 20 individuals navigating varying compliances (e.g., 25 kN/m, 63 kN/m), integrating kinematics (22 markers), muscle activation (10 EMG), and kinetics.

Applications

• Clinical Rehab: Dynamic gait protocols for post-stroke recovery.
• Robotics: Terrain-adaptive controllers for prostheses and bipedal robots.
• Athletics: Injury prevention via sport-specific, compliant terrains.

Partnerships & Next Steps Targeting a 12–18 month horizon to expand human-subject validation. We invite collaboration via:

• Sponsored Research: Funding to scale clinical trials.
• Licensing: Integrating VST 2 tech into commercial lines.
• Co-Development: Deploying the VST 2 into clinical/industrial facilities.