Can a robot help people walk again after stroke or injury?

NCT ID NCT07735676

Disease control Sponsor: Bangladesh Medical University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests a robotic device called ZEPU-AI1 that helps people with leg weakness practice standing and walking. The trial includes adults aged 19 to 60 who have walking problems from stroke, spinal cord injury, or orthopedic surgery. Half of the participants will use the robot alongside standard physical therapy, while the other half will receive standard therapy alone. The goal is to see if the robot is safe, practical, and may improve walking speed, balance, and strength.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: robot-assisted gait training using the ZEPU-AI1 Gait Training and Evaluation System
What this could lead to: If it works, this could bring an advanced robotic therapy to Bangladesh, helping people with walking problems regain mobility and independence.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early feasibility study with only 32 participants. The device may cause falls, skin sores, or joint pain, and results may not apply to everyone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 32 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2026

Expected to finish

Nov 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Lower-limb motor dysfunction from one of the following: (a) stroke (onset 2-24 months), (b) incomplete spinal-cord injury (neurological level T12 and below, ASIA C or D), (c) orthopedic surgery (e.g., knee/hip replacement) with persistent gait impairment \>3 months post-surgery * Age \>18 and ≤60 years * Able to provide informed consent and understand instructions * Weight ≤100 kg and height within device adjustable range (per manufacturer specification) * Medically stable and cleared by physician for exoskeleton use (no active infection, uncontrolled cardiac/respiratory disease, severe osteoporosis, uncontrolled epilepsy, or untreated DVT) Exclusion Criteria: * Complete spinal cord injury with inability to bear any weight * Severe cognitive impairment (e.g., MMSE \<24) preventing safe participation * Severe spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale \>3) in lower limbs * Unstable fractures, severe hip/knee contractures (\>30° fixed flexion), or severe osteoarthritis requiring imminent surgery * Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia, pacemaker incompatibility, or implanted electronic device incompatible with robot sensors * Pregnancy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Gait Disorders, Neurologic spinal cord injury stroke disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Gait disorders, neurologic Spinal cord injuries (SCI) Stroke

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Can a robot help people walk again after stroke or injury?

What the study statuses mean