Papers
3
Total Citations
49
H-Index
3
About
Kanan Yatsuya is a leading researcher in rehabilitation engineering, specializing in robotic gait assistance for individuals with spinal cord injury and paraplegia. Her work centers on the development and clinical validation of the Wearable Power-Assist Locomotor (WPAL), a medial-type powered exoskeleton designed to restore walking function. Yatsuya’s major contributions include landmark comparative studies demonstrating that WPAL significantly improves energy efficiency during gait compared to conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) like the Hip and Ankle Linked Orthosis (HALO) and Primewalk. Her 2016 study (26 citations) established WPAL’s superior metabolic cost reduction, while her 2015 work (17 citations) confirmed its advantages in gait reconstruction for paraplegic patients. Notably, her 2017 case study (6 citations) showed the clinical feasibility of WPAL for individuals with both incomplete cervical and complete thoracic spinal cord injuries, expanding the potential user population. Yatsuya’s research, conducted at Chubu Rosai Hospital, bridges robotic engineering and patient-centered rehabilitation, offering transformative mobility solutions. Her findings have influenced the design of assistive technologies and clinical protocols, making her a pivotal figure in advancing powered exoskeleton therapy for severe motor impairments.
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