Abstract: Provided are stimulation devices for improving ambulatory activity of a subject in need thereof. The device includes a foot covering for holding two battery-operated tactile actuators on a metatarsal region and an ankle region of the wearer's foot. The foot covering also includes a detachable material for housing and securing the two tactile actuators and a pouch region for holding electronics.

Abstract: A device adapted to be secured to the foot of a user includes one or more vibration actuators configured to provide vibrations to the user's foot, one or more force or acceleration sensors configured to sense forces or acceleration exerted by the user's foot, and a controller configured to operate the vibration actuators in a continuous mode to provide intermittent vibration to the user's foot independent of information sensed by the force or acceleration sensors. The vibration includes a first period of continuous vibration followed by a second period of no vibration followed by a third period of continuous vibration. The device may also be configured to operate in a feedback mode.

Abstract: A method for mitigating an involuntary muscle movement in a patient by applying external vibration in multiple locations distributed about a periphery of an upper arm or forearm of the patient for an applied vibration duration that is less than the efficacy duration. Applied vibration duration as a percentage of efficacy duration is ideally less than 80%. A wearable device for performing the method has a flexible base for removably affixing to a patient's upper arm or forearm, a plurality of vibration generators, a power source, and a connected microcontroller configured to control the vibration generated by the vibration generators in accordance with a pulse frequency. The microcontroller is configured to connect to a remote controller via a communications interface. The vibration generators have a nominal vibration frequency different from the pulse frequency.

Abstract: Gait and mobility assessment systems and methods are disclosed. A gait and mobility assessment system comprises a shoe, a plurality of force sensors mounted on the shoe, a plurality of motion sensors mounted on the shoe, and a microprocessor affixed to the shoe. The shoe is adapted to be secured to a foot of a user such that the user may freely ambulate in an unrestricted environment. The force sensors are configured to sense forces exerted by the foot of the user. The motion sensors are configured to sense a motion of the shoe. The microprocessor is coupled to receive data from the plurality of force sensors representing the sensed forces and from the plurality of motion sensors representing the sensed motion. The microprocessor is programmed to (i) store the received data in a memory affixed to the shoe, or (ii) wirelessly transmit the received data to a remote location.