Children Unable to Walk IndependentlyUPLIFTS PilotNCT07726706
Upright Participation for Learners: Implementation of Flexible Use of roboT-assisted Walking in Schools - PILOT
A study testing Robotic walking in people with Children Unable to Walk Independently, run by University of Calgary at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Robot-assisted walking offers children who are unable to walk new avenues for participation in their communities in addition to health benefits. Disappointingly, most children cannot access this impactful technology. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Children Unable to Walk Independently
- What is being tested?
- Robotic walking
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 8 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2025to 31 Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Enrolled at a participating study site.
- Fit a robotic walking device.
Who cannot join
- Does not fit a robotic walking device.
- Displays a contraindication to robotic walking.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Upright Participation for Learners: Implementation of Flexible Use of roboT-assisted Walking in Schools
Robot-assisted walking offers children who are unable to walk new avenues for participation in their communities in addition to health benefits. Disappointingly, most children cannot access this impactful technology. One of every 1000 children cannot walk due to cerebral palsy,1 and many others cannot walk due to less common neurodevelopmental disorders such as Spina Bifida or Rett Syndrome. The inability to walk impacts most areas of daily life. Despite this large need, there are few, if any, interventions available to facilitate participation and motor function.2-4 Recently, the study team have learned that robot-assisted walking can improve motor function and reduce the health impacts of physical inactivity that these children often experience. Robot assisted walking aids attach to a walker and use robotic legs to power a child's leg movements, allowing them to use their body in new ways from an upright position. When used in home and community settings, it also creates new avenues for participation in daily life that are critical for supporting cognitive, communication and social development. However, this technology is expensive and requires adult support, limiting access to families with adequate resources. The need exists to create equitable opportunities to access robot-assisted walking to improve multidimensional outcomes for children who cannot walk. Many innovative rehabilitation interventions do not cross the chasm from evidence to implementation. Knowing this risk, this program is strategically using implementation science methods to identify and study strategies to support implementation. Through previous studies, school settings have been identified as optimal for facilitating equitable access to robot-assisted walking to promote participation and function-based improvements. The research team conducted a study to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation in a school setting and have subsequently selected strategies to address the barriers and leverage the facilitators. Before confidently launching a planned multisite trial to examine implementation and effectiveness of robot-assisted walking in the school setting, the research team needs to pilot the implementation strategies within the planned study design. The proposed pilot study will optimize research methods to ensure a future multisite trial provides the necessary evidence for sustainable school implementation and equitable access to robot-assisted walking.
- Conditions
- Children Unable to Walk Independently
- Being tested
- Robotic walking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Robotic walkingDevice
Use of a robotic walking aid will be provided to participants by qualified school therapists and staff
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Experimental | Participants will use a robotic walking aid in their school setting. Receives: Device: Robotic walking |
| Usual care | No intervention | Participants will engage in their usual school routine. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)
The structure to generate and evaluation of implementation barriers and facilitators.
Measured: From the date of enrollment until the date of completion of both study arms, up to 12 months.
Secondary outcomes (2)
Early Clinical Assessment of Balance (ECAB)
Ordinal scale evaluated through a clinical assessment testing various aspects of balance.
Measured: From the date of enrollment until the date of completion of both study arms, up to 12 months.
Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)
A structured interview that guides goal selection at the beginning of the study with a patient-reported ordinal outcome to evaluate at key timepoints (before and after an intervention arm). Participants/families rate their performance and satisfaction regarding each goal on a 10-point scale (1-10).
Measured: From the date of enrollment until the date of completion of both study arms, up to 12 months.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jul 2026
- Study start1 Oct 2025
- Primary completion30 Jun 2026
- Study completion31 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Children Unable to Walk IndependentlyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of CalgaryThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Device feasibility
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Calgary
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Elizabeth Condliffe, PhD MD, University of Calgary
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07726706
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- REB24-0305
- Other IDs
- REB24-0305
- Acronym
- UPLIFTS Pilot
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 24 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: We are working toward sharing de-identified data in our trials using best practices in Open Science data sharing principles, however to date we have not formalized where the data will be stored and when it would be released. We continue to work toward providing access to this data, however at this stage cannot say for certain that yes, we will share IPD.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Upright Participation for Learners: Implementation of Flexible Use of roboT-assisted Walking in Schools
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07726706
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UPLIFTS Pilot / REB24-0305
- Conditions
- Children Unable to Walk Independently
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of CalgaryUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Robot-assisted walking offers children who are unable to walk new avenues for participation in their communities in addition to health benefits. Disappointingly, most children cannot access this impactful technology. One of every 1000 children cannot walk due to cerebral palsy,1 and many others cannot walk due to less common neurodevelopmental disorders such as Spina Bifida or Rett Syndrome. The inability to walk impacts most areas of daily life. Despite this large need, there are few, if any, interventions available to facilitate participation and motor function.2-4 Recently, the study team have learned that robot-assisted walking can improve motor function and reduce the health impacts of physical inactivity that these children often experience. Robot assisted walking aids attach to a walker and use robotic legs to power a child's leg movements, allowing them to use their body in new ways from an upright position. When used in home and community settings, it also creates new avenues for participation in daily life that are critical for supporting cognitive, communication and social development. However, this technology is expensive and requires adult support, limiting access to families with adequate resources. The need exists to create equitable opportunities to access robot-assisted walking to improve multidimensional outcomes for children who cannot walk. Many innovative rehabilitation interventions do not cross the chasm from evidence to implementation. Knowing this risk, this program is strategically using implementation science methods to identify and study strategies to support implementation. Through previous studies, school settings have been identified as optimal for facilitating equitable access to robot-assisted walking to promote participation and function-based improvements. The research team conducted a study to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation in a school setting and have subsequently selected strategies to address the barriers and leverage the facilitators. Before confidently launching a planned multisite trial to examine implementation and effectiveness of robot-assisted walking in the school setting, the research team needs to pilot the implementation strategies within the planned study design. The proposed pilot study will optimize research methods to ensure a future multisite trial provides the necessary evidence for sustainable school implementation and equitable access to robot-assisted walking.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Device feasibility
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Experimental | Device: Robotic walkingParticipants will use a robotic walking aid in their school setting. |
| Usual care | No intervention | –Participants will engage in their usual school routine. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Enrolled at a participating study site.
- Fit a robotic walking device.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Does not fit a robotic walking device.
- Displays a contraindication to robotic walking.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Robotic walkingUse of a robotic walking aid will be provided to participants by qualified school therapists and staff | Device | Training |
Primary outcome
the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)
Time frame: From the date of enrollment until the date of completion of both study arms, up to 12 months.
The structure to generate and evaluation of implementation barriers and facilitators.
2 secondary outcomes
Early Clinical Assessment of Balance (ECAB)
Time frame: From the date of enrollment until the date of completion of both study arms, up to 12 months.
Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)
Time frame: From the date of enrollment until the date of completion of both study arms, up to 12 months.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. We are working toward sharing de-identified data in our trials using best practices in Open Science data sharing principles, however to date we have not formalized where the data will be stored and when it would be released. We continue to work toward providing access to this data, however at this stage cannot say for certain that yes, we will share IPD.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Robotic walking in people with Children Unable to Walk Independently, run by University of Calgary at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) (time frame: From the date of enrollment until the date of completion of both study arms, up to 12 months.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Jul 2026.