Users' adaptations to the proportional speed control of a motorised walker.

The user's exertion and the energy used by the MW are both minimised when target speed is close to the preferred walking speed of the user. Additionally, these findings suggest that the speed target can be used to change the walking speed of users but only to a certain extend and at the cost of higher perceived exertion.Implications for rehabilitationThe larger the difference between the target speed of the MW and the preferred walking speed of the user, the more likely the user is to push or pull on the MW.Users would push or pull on the MW with a force proportional to the difference from their preferred walking speed even when matching the MW's target speed.Users can be encouraged to walk at higher than preferred speeds, even though this would come at the cost of higher perceived exertion.