A Brief History Of The Equipment
The original device was designed by David Hart in 1989 and although it did help many children onto their feet, it proved to be heavy and restrictive. Steering the frame was difficult and even the most able child needed lots of floor space upon which to manoeuvre
Adjustment of the frame was limited to that of increasing / decreasing the amount of lift force being offered to the user by way of a support mechanism which allowed only vertical movement of the pelvic / body bracing. This inadequate configuration encouraged a user to incorporate additional components into their walking pattern which were unnatural and detrimental to any possibility of them achieving independent mobility.
The frame also had to be made to in a range of sizes to accommodate a child's growth. This made 'growing' very expensive and meant that for much of the time a child had the encumbrance of a larger frame than they actually needed, simply to allow for further growth.
However, despite the flaws and limitations of the original device, its true value was in providing the opportunity for children to demonstrate that with better designed equipment they had the potential to make better progress, which led to a great deal more research and the creation of the first MkII device in 1993.
To prove the design of the of the MkII, it was first issued to children who had been using the original device - these children immediately demonstrated the MkII to be much easier to use. The greatly improved geometric configuration had instantly rendered the children's walking more natural and efficient, and many soon found they could get to places previously designed them by the restrictions of the original device. The most technically significant breakthrough was that of the ability to 'fine tune' the MkII to a child's individual and ongoing needs.
The result of these trials and that of moral obligation meant that the original design of equipment was declared obsolete and since 1993 all children attending our clinic have been fitted with the MkII device, or, as part of our ongoing research and development programme, have been provided with yet further improved equipment. The overall benefits of the MkII have also made it possible to help many more children who would otherwise have found the original equipment very difficult, if not impossible, to use.
As a research unit we are continually improving the equipment and care we offer. Although the MkII is still referred to as the MkII, both the frame and the orthotic bracing have undergone continual development since 1993.
Research continued, each improvement to the equipment simply helped more children to prove that give further opportunities, they had the potential to do even better. It became increasingly obvious that these opportunities could be better offered by way of developing additional equipment to provide a progressive path towards independent mobility.
This resulted in the development of the two wheeled frame and stabilising brace which, while offering the ability to gradually reduce the amount of control and guidance being provided, are now being used to help a child develop the skills of standing balance and a weight-shift gait.