Journal articles: 'Powered Exoskeleton'

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Acosta-Sojo, Yadrianna, and Leia Stirling. "Muscle Activation Differs Between Individuals During Initial Powered Ankle Exoskeleton Adaptation." Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 65, no. 1 (September 2021): 415–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1071181321651055.

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Although previous studies have shown that powered exoskeletons reduce muscle activation while walking across participants, less is known about how they impact an individual’s muscle activation. This study examined an individual’s muscle activity during walking with a powered ankle exoskeleton. The designed human-exoskeleton coordination was defined as a decrease in medial gastrocnemius (MGAS) muscle activation with the exoskeleton powered and increase with the exoskeleton unpowered. 60% of the participants were observed to coordinate with the exoskeleton as designed, with 67% showing a decrease in RMS MGAS during adaptation. 60% of the participants showed no change during the de-adaptation, with 47% not returning to baseline metrics by late de-adaptation. Muscle activity differs between individuals in response to the exoskeleton power state and over time within the power state. It is important to consider these different behaviors when integrating exoskeletons into occupational settings as adaptation may be supported by training and experience.

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ROSEN, JACOB, and JOEL C. PERRY. "UPPER LIMB POWERED EXOSKELETON." International Journal of Humanoid Robotics 04, no. 03 (September 2007): 529–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s021984360700114x.

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An exoskeleton is a wearable robot with joints and links corresponding to those of the human body. With applications in rehabilitation medicine, virtual reality simulation, and teleoperation, exoskeletons offer benefits for both disabled and healthy populations. Analytical and experimental approaches were used to develop, integrate, and study a powered exoskeleton for the upper limb and its application as an assistive device. The kinematic and dynamic dataset of the upper limb during daily living activities was one among several factors guiding the development of an anthropomorphic, seven degree-of-freedom, powered arm exoskeleton. Additional design inputs include anatomical and physiological considerations, workspace analyses, and upper limb joint ranges of motion. Proximal placement of motors and distal placement of cable-pulley reductions were incorporated into the design, leading to low inertia, high-stiffness links, and back-drivable transmissions with zero backlash. The design enables full glenohumeral, elbow, and wrist joint functionality. Establishing the human-machine interface at the neural level was facilitated by the development of a Hill-based muscle model (myoprocessor) that enables intuitive interaction between the operator and the wearable robot. Potential applications of the exoskeleton as a wearable robot include (i) an assistive (orthotic) device for human power amplifications, (ii) a therapeutic and diagnostics device for physiotherapy, (iii) a haptic device in virtual reality simulation, and (iv) a master device for teleoperation.

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Choi, Hyunjin. "Assistance of a Person with Muscular Weakness Using a Joint-Torque-Assisting Exoskeletal Robot." Applied Sciences 11, no. 7 (March 31, 2021): 3114. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app11073114.

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Robotic systems for gait rehabilitation have been actively developed in recent years; many of the rehabilitation robots have been commercialized and utilized for treatment of real patients in hospitals. The first generation of gait rehabilitation robots was a tethered exoskeleton system on a treadmill. While these robots have become a new trend in rehabilitation medicine, there are several arguments about the effectiveness of such robots due to the passiveness of the motions that the robots generate, i.e., the continuous passive motions may limit the active involvement of patients’ voluntary motion control. In order to let a patient be more actively involved by requiring the self-control of whole-body balance, untethered powered exoskeletons, wearable robots that patients can wear and walk on the ground, are receiving great attention. While several powered exoskeletons have been commercialized already, the question about their effectiveness has not been cleared in the viewpoint of rehabilitation medicine because most of the powered exoskeletons provide still continuous passive motions, even though they are on the ground without tethering. This is due to their control strategy; the joints of a powered exoskeleton are position-controlled to repeatedly follow a predefined angle trajectory. This may be effective when a wearer is completely paraplegic such that the powered exoskeleton must generate full actuation power for walking. For people with muscular weakness due to various reasons, the powered exoskeleton must assist only the lack of muscular force without constraining human motion. For assistance and rehabilitation of people with partial impairment in walking ability, Angel Legs is introduced in this paper. The proposed powered exoskeleton system is equipped with a transparent actuation system such that the assistive force is accurately generated. The overall design and control of Angel Legs are introduced in this paper, and a clinical verification with a human subject is also provided.

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Bequette, Blake, Adam Norton, Eric Jones, and Leia Stirling. "Physical and Cognitive Load Effects Due to a Powered Lower-Body Exoskeleton." Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 62, no. 3 (March 23, 2020): 411–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018720820907450.

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Objective The aim of this study is to determine the effects of a powered exoskeleton on measures of physical and cognitive performance. Background US warfighters carry heavy equipment into battle, and exoskeletons may reduce that burden. While exoskeletons are currently evaluated for their effects on physical performance, their cognitive effects are not currently considered. Method Twelve military members participated in a simulated patrol task under three conditions: wearing a powered exoskeleton (PWR), an unpowered exoskeleton (UNP), and without wearing an exoskeleton (OFF). While following a confederate over obstacles at a constant pace, participants performed additional audio and visual tasks. Dependent measures included visual misses, visual reaction time, audio misses, audio reaction time, incremental lag time, and NASA-TLX scores. Results The variability in the follow-task lag time was lowest with OFF and highest with UNP, highlighting reduced ability to maintain pace with the exoskeleton. Visual reaction time was significantly slower with PWR compared to OFF for 5 of 12 subjects. The NASA-TLX overall workload scores were lower for OFF compared to PWR and UNP. Conclusion Efforts to understand individual variability are warranted such that exoskeleton designs can be used for a wider set of the population. While not all subjects had measurable differences in the selected performance tasks, the perception of increased workload was present across subjects. It remains to be determined what difference in reaction time would be operationally relevant for task-specific settings. Application Findings draw attention to the need to consider “cognitive fit” and subject differences in the design and implementation of exoskeletons.

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Lippi, Vittorio, and Thomas Mergner. "A Challenge: Support of Standing Balance in Assistive Robotic Devices." Applied Sciences 10, no. 15 (July 29, 2020): 5240. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10155240.

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Neurological patients using a powered lower-body exoskeleton for rehabilitation of standing and walking skills in an upright body pose face the safety challenge of postural instability and fall. Current research, therefore, develops exoskeletons with self-balancing functions. This study suggests basing the exoskeleton’s stabilization of standing posture on a human-derived postural control mechanism. A corresponding control system has previously been successfully tested with specific balancing tasks in humanoid robots. Here, we provide a short introduction into the control method and, using a lightweight robot, present as a test of the balancing an experimental shift in the body weight distribution (as if, e.g., a human exoskeleton user was raising an arm or leaning the upper body or lifting an external weight). An overview of other specific balancing tests previously already investigated in humans and humanoids is also briefly mentioned. Overall, the tests will allow the quantification of the capabilities of self-balancing exoskeletons developed for patients with partial paralysis of lower body sensorimotor functions.

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Duddy, Damien, Rónán Doherty, James Connolly, Stephen McNally, Johnny Loughrey, and Maria Faulkner. "The Effects of Powered Exoskeleton Gait Training on Cardiovascular Function and Gait Performance: A Systematic Review." Sensors 21, no. 9 (May 5, 2021): 3207. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s21093207.

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Patients with neurological impairments often experience physical deconditioning, resulting in reduced fitness and health. Powered exoskeleton training may be a successful method to combat physical deconditioning and its comorbidities, providing patients with a valuable and novel experience. This systematic review aimed to conduct a search of relevant literature, to examine the effects of powered exoskeleton training on cardiovascular function and gait performance. Two electronic database searches were performed (2 April 2020 to 12 February 2021) and manual reference list searches of relevant manuscripts were completed. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were systematically reviewed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. n = 63 relevant titles were highlighed; two further titles were identified through manual reference list searches. Following analysis n = 23 studies were included. Data extraction details included; sample size, age, gender, injury, the exoskeleton used, intervention duration, weekly sessions, total sessions, session duration and outcome measures. Results indicated that exoskeleton gait training elevated energy expenditure greater than wheelchair propulsion and improved gait function. Patients exercised at a moderate-intensity. Powered exoskeletons may increase energy expenditure to a similar level as non-exoskeleton walking, which may improve cardiovascular function more effectively than wheelchair propulsion alone.

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Nelson, Allison J., Patrick T. Hall, Katherine R. Saul, and Dustin L. Crouch. "Effect of Mechanically Passive, Wearable Shoulder Exoskeletons on Muscle Output During Dynamic Upper Extremity Movements: A Computational Simulation Study." Journal of Applied Biomechanics 36, no. 2 (April 1, 2020): 59–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jab.2018-0369.

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Wearable passive (ie, spring powered) shoulder exoskeletons could reduce muscle output during motor tasks to help prevent or treat shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. However, most wearable passive shoulder exoskeletons have been designed and evaluated for static tasks, so it is unclear how they affect muscle output during dynamic tasks. The authors used a musculoskeletal model and Computed Muscle Control optimization to estimate muscle output with and without a wearable passive shoulder exoskeleton during 2 simulated dynamic tasks: abduction and upward reach. To an existing upper extremity musculoskeletal model, the authors added an exoskeleton model with 3-dimensional representations of the exoskeleton components, including a spring, cam wheel, force-transmitting shoulder cable, and wrapping surfaces that permitted the shoulder cable to wrap over the shoulder. The exoskeleton reduced net muscle-generated moments in positive shoulder elevation by 28% and 62% during the abduction and upward reach, respectively. However, muscle outputs (joint moments and muscle effort) were higher with the exoskeleton than without at some points of the movement. Muscle output was higher with the exoskeleton because the exoskeleton moment opposed the muscle-generated moment in some postures. The results of this study highlight the importance of evaluating muscle output for passive exoskeletons designed to support dynamic movements to ensure that the exoskeletons assist, rather than impede, movement.

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Baptista, Renato, Francesco Salvaggio, Caterina Cavallo, Serena Pizzocaro, Svonko Galasso, Micaela Schmid, and Alessandro Marco De Nunzio. "Training-Induced Muscle Fatigue with a Powered Lower-Limb Exoskeleton: A Preliminary Study on Healthy Subjects." Medical Sciences 10, no. 4 (September 26, 2022): 55. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/medsci10040055.

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Powered lower-limb exoskeletons represent a promising technology for helping the upright stance and gait of people with lower-body paralysis or severe paresis from spinal cord injury. The powered lower-limb exoskeleton assistance can reduce the development of lower-limb muscular fatigue as a risk factor for spasticity. Therefore, measuring powered lower-limb exoskeleton training-induced fatigue is relevant to guiding and improving such technology’s development. In this preliminary study, thirty healthy subjects (age 23.2 ± 2.7 years) performed three motor tasks: (i) walking overground (WO), (ii) treadmill walking (WT), (iii) standing and sitting (STS) in three separate exoskeleton-based training sessions of 60 min each. The changes in the production of lower-limb maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) were assessed for knee and ankle dorsiflexion and extension before and after the three exoskeleton-based trained motor tasks. The MVIC forces decreased significantly after the three trained motor tasks except for the ankle dorsiflexion. However, no significant interaction was found between time (before-, and after-training) and the training sessions except for the knee flexion, where significant fatigue was induced by WO and WT trained motor tasks. The results of this study pose the basis to generate data useful for a better approach to the exoskeleton-based training. The STS task leads to a lower level of muscular fatigue, especially for the knee flexor muscles.

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Kulkarni, Chaitanya, Hsiang-Wen Hsing, Dina Kandi, Shriya Kommaraju, Nathan Lau, and Divya Srinivasan. "Designing An Augmented Reality Based Interface For Wearable Exoskeletons." Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 64, no. 1 (December 2020): 38–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1071181320641012.

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Full-body, powered wearable exoskeletons combine the capabilities of machines and humans to maximize productivity. Powered exoskeletons can ease industrial workers in manipulating heavy loads in a manner that is difficult to automate. However, introduction of exoskeletons may result in unexpected work hazards, due to the mismatch between user-intended and executed actions thereby creating difficulties in sensing the physical operational envelope, need for increased clearance, and maneuverability limitations. To control such hazards, this paper presents a rearview human localization augmented reality (AR) platform to enhance spatial awareness of people behind the exoskeleton users. This platform leverages a computer vision algorithm called Monocular 3D Pedestrian Localization and Uncertainty Estimation (MonoLoco) for identifying humans and estimating their distance from a video camera feed and off-the-shelf AR goggles for visualizing the surrounding. Augmenting rear view awareness of humans can help exoskeleton users to avoid accidental collisions that can lead to severe injuries.

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Saypulaev, G. R., M. R. Saypulaev, I. V. Merkuryev, B. I. Adamov, and R. B. Garcia. "Application of an Inertial Sensor Unit for Position Estimation and Motion Control of the Lower-Extremity Powered Exoskeleton." Advanced Engineering Research 22, no. 3 (October 12, 2022): 204–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.23947/2687-1653-2022-22-3-204-213.

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Introduction. The problem of controlling the lower-extremity powered exoskeleton motion was investigated. To solve it, it was proposed to use a program control and feedback control. The formation of control in the form of feedback required an assessment of the state of the exoskeleton (rotation angles, angular velocities, and accelerations of the links). The possibility of using an inertial measuring unit to estimate angular velocities and accelerations of exoskeleton links was considered. The work objective was to develop laws for the formation of the exoskeleton motion control, which could provide the stability of the program motion and use the measurements of encoders, micromechanical gyroscopes and accelerometers.Materials and Methods. Previously performed mathematical modeling of the exoskeleton dynamics was used to form a program control. It was proposed to equip the exoskeleton with inertial sensor units. This solution made it possible to evaluate the state vector of the exoskeleton and to use these estimates in a feedback loop. A mathematical model of measurements of these sensors was described. The proposed version is suitable for control systems of three-link exoskeletons of the lower extremities and can be expanded to the case of multi-link exoskeleton designs.Results. New laws of exoskeleton motion control based on a mathematical model of the system dynamics and using measurement information from encoders and inertial information sensors were proposed. Numerical simulation of exoskeleton motion was performed in the Wolfram Mathematica mathematical package. Its results confirmed the operability of the proposed control and the possibility of using an inertial sensor unit to assess the exoskeleton state. The numerical simulation results for the following program movements were presented: lifting the exoskeleton from a sitting position to a vertical position, and stabilization of the vertical equilibrium position.Discussion and Conclusions. The proposed control can be applied in exoskeletons for medical purposes, e.g., in the task of verticalization of patients with dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system. The possibility of using measurement information obtained from inertial measurements units in the problem of estimating the state of exoskeleton links was demonstrated. The use of inertial sensors will make it possible to determine the angular acceleration of the exoskeleton links, avoiding numerical differentiation of the measurement information received from the encoders. The obtained estimates of angular acceleration allow us to introduce feedback on angular accelerations into the control system, which opens up the possibility of improving transients in controlling the exoskeleton motion.

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Choi, Hyunjin, Byeonghun Na, Jangmok Lee, and Kyoungchul Kong. "A User Interface System with See-Through Display for WalkON Suit: A Powered Exoskeleton for Complete Paraplegics." Applied Sciences 8, no. 11 (November 19, 2018): 2287. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app8112287.

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In the development of powered exoskeletons for paraplegics due to complete spinal cord injury, a convenient and reliable user-interface (UI) is one of the mandatory requirements. In most of such robots, a user (i.e., the complete paraplegic wearing a powered exoskeleton) may not be able to avoid using crutches for safety reasons. As both the sensory and motor functions of the paralyzed legs are impaired, the users should frequently check the feet positions to ensure the proper ground contact. Therefore, the UI of powered exoskeletons should be designed such that it is easy to be controlled while using crutches and to monitor the operation state without any obstruction of sight. In this paper, a UI system of the WalkON Suit, a powered exoskeleton for complete paraplegics, is introduced. The proposed UI system consists of see-through display (STD) glasses and a display and tact switches installed on a crutch for the user to control motion modes and the walking speed. Moreover, the user can monitor the operation state using the STD glasses, which enables the head to be positioned up. The proposed UI system is verified by experimental results in this paper. The proposed UI system was applied to the WalkON Suit for the torch relay of the 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics.

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Şahin, Yusuf, Fatih Mehmet Botsalı, Mete Kalyoncu, Mustafa Tinkir, Ümit Önen, Nihat Yılmaz, Ömer Kaan Baykan, and Abdullah Çakan. "Force Feedback Control of Lower Extremity Exoskeleton Assisting of Load Carrying Human." Applied Mechanics and Materials 598 (July 2014): 546–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.598.546.

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Lower extremity exoskeletons are wearable robot manipulators that integrate human intelligence with the strength of legged robots. Recently, lower extremity exoskeletons have been specifically developed for rehabilitation, military, industrial applications and rescuing, heavy-weight lifting and civil defense applications. This paper presents controller design of a lower-extremity exoskeleton for a load carrying human to provide force feedback control against to external load carried by user during walking, sitting, and standing motions. Proposed exoskeleton system has two legs which are powered and controlled by two servo-hydraulic actuators. Proportional and Integral (PI) controller is designed for force control of system. Six flexible force sensors are placed in exoskeleton shoe and two load cells are mounted between the end of the piston rod and lower leg joint. Force feedback control is realized by comparing ground reaction force and applied force of hydraulic cylinder. This paper discusses control simulations and experimental tests of lower extremity exoskeleton system.

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Witte, Kirby A., Pieter Fiers, Alison L. Sheets-Singer, and Steven H. Collins. "Improving the energy economy of human running with powered and unpowered ankle exoskeleton assistance." Science Robotics 5, no. 40 (March 25, 2020): eaay9108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.aay9108.

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Exoskeletons that reduce energetic cost could make recreational running more enjoyable and improve running performance. Although there are many ways to assist runners, the best approaches remain unclear. In our study, we used a tethered ankle exoskeleton emulator to optimize both powered and spring-like exoskeleton characteristics while participants ran on a treadmill. We expected powered conditions to provide large improvements in energy economy and for spring-like patterns to provide smaller benefits achievable with simpler devices. We used human-in-the-loop optimization to attempt to identify the best exoskeleton characteristics for each device type and individual user, allowing for a well-controlled comparison. We found that optimized powered assistance improved energy economy by 24.7 ± 6.9% compared with zero torque and 14.6 ± 7.7% compared with running in normal shoes. Optimized powered torque patterns for individuals varied substantially, but all resulted in relatively high mechanical work input (0.36 ± 0.09 joule kilogram−1 per step) and late timing of peak torque (75.7 ± 5.0% stance). Unexpectedly, spring-like assistance was ineffective, improving energy economy by only 2.1 ± 2.4% compared with zero torque and increasing metabolic rate by 11.1 ± 2.8% compared with control shoes. The energy savings we observed imply that running velocity could be increased by as much as 10% with no added effort for the user and could influence the design of future products.

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Perry, Joel C., Jacob Rosen, and Stephen Burns. "Upper-Limb Powered Exoskeleton Design." IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 12, no. 4 (August 2007): 408–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/tmech.2007.901934.

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Kim, Sung-Hyeon, Ho-Jin Shin, and Hwi-Young Cho. "Preliminary Assessment of Muscle Activity and Muscle Characteristics during Training with Powered Robotic Exoskeleton: A Repeated-Measures Study." Healthcare 9, no. 8 (August 5, 2021): 1003. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9081003.

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A variety of robotic exoskeletons have been developed for patients with spinal cord injuries. However, the optimal training method and period for using a robotic exoskeleton have been uncertain until now. The purpose of this study is to determine the minimum training period for using a robotic exoskeleton with minimal muscle activity by investigating the changes in muscle activity and muscle characteristics of healthy adults during robotic exoskeleton training. A total of 16 people participated in the study. The robotic exoskeleton locomotion training consisted of three 50-min sessions a week for 7 weeks. The assessment consisted of sitting, standing, wide standing, sit-to-stand, and stand-to-sit where muscle activity and muscle characteristics were measured during each motion. All measurements were performed in the first session and every five sessions. Participants showed decreased muscle activity up to 10 sessions of training in the standing position, and 15 sessions in sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit motions. Upper extremity muscles showed decreased muscle activity, tone, stiffness, and logarithmic decrement up to the 15th session. The study results show that at least 15 training sessions are required to use the robotic exoskeleton with minimal load on the musculoskeletal system, and longer training is required for patients with spinal cord injury.

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Bogue, Robert. "Robotic exoskeletons: a review of recent progress." Industrial Robot: An International Journal 42, no. 1 (January 19, 2015): 5–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ir-08-2014-0379.

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Purpose – This article aims to provide details of recent robotic exoskeleton developments and applications. Design/methodology/approach – Following an introduction, this article first considers some of the technological issues associated with an exoskeleton design. It then discusses military developments, industrial load-carrying applications and uses in healthcare. Progress in thought-controlled exoskeletons is discussed briefly, and finally, concluding comments are drawn. Findings – This article shows that, while military interests continue, the dominant application is to restore or enhance mobility to individuals suffering from disabilities or injuries. An emerging use is to increase the strength and endurance of industrial workers. The majority are lower-limb devices, although some full-body exoskeletons have been developed, and most rely on battery-powered electric motors to create motion. Reflecting the anticipated growth in applications, exoskeletons are now available from, or under development by, a growing number of commercial organisations. Originality/value – This provides an insight into the latest developments in robotic exoskeletons and their applications.

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FERRIS, DANIEL P., GREGORY S. SAWICKI, and MONICA A. DALEY. "A PHYSIOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE ON ROBOTIC EXOSKELETONS FOR HUMAN LOCOMOTION." International Journal of Humanoid Robotics 04, no. 03 (September 2007): 507–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0219843607001138.

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Technological advances in robotic hardware and software have enabled powered exoskeletons to move from science fiction to the real world. The objective of this article is to emphasize two main points for future research. First, the design of future devices could be improved by exploiting biomechanical principles of animal locomotion. Two goals in exoskeleton research could particularly benefit from additional physiological perspective: (i) reduction in the metabolic energy expenditure of the user while wearing the device, and (ii) minimization of the power requirements for actuating the exoskeleton. Second, a reciprocal potential exists for robotic exoskeletons to advance our understanding of human locomotor physiology. Experimental data from humans walking and running with robotic exoskeletons could provide important insight into the metabolic cost of locomotion that is impossible to gain with other methods. Given the mutual benefits of collaboration, it is imperative that engineers and physiologists work together in future studies on robotic exoskeletons for human locomotion.

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Christensen, Simon, Sajid Rafique, and Shaoping Bai. "Design of a powered full-body exoskeleton for physical assistance of elderly people." International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems 18, no. 6 (November 1, 2021): 172988142110535. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/17298814211053534.

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The development of full-body exoskeletons has been limited due to design complexities, mechanical integration intricacies, and heavier weight, among others. Consequently, very few full-body powered exoskeletons were developed to address these challenges, in spite of increasing demand for physical assistance at full-body level. This article presents an overall design and development of a powered full-body exoskeleton called “FB-AXO.” Primarily, FB-AXO consists of two main subsystems, a lower-body and an upper-body subsystem connected together through waist and spine modules. FB-AXO is developed for the support of weaker ageing adults so that they can continue functioning their daily activities. At the onset of the project, a set of functional and design requirements has been formulated with an extensive end-user involvement and then used in realizing the FB-AXO. The final FB-AXO design comprises of 27 degrees of freedom, of which 10 are active and 17 are passive, having a total system weight of 25 kg. Overall, the article elaborates comprehensively the design, construction, and preliminary testing of FB-AXO. The work effectively addresses design challenges including kinematic compatibility and modularity with innovative solutions. The details of the mechanics, sensors, and electronics of the two subsystems along with specifics of human-exoskeleton interfaces and ranges of motion are also provided. The FB-AXO exoskeleton effectively demonstrated to assist full-body motions such as normal walking, standing, bending as well as executing lifting and carrying tasks to meet the daily living demands of older users.

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Nomura, Shinnosuke, Yasutake Takahashi, Katsuya Sahashi, Shota Murai, Masayuki Kawai, Yoshiaki Taniai, and Tomohide Naniwa. "Power Assist Control Based on Human Motion Estimation Using Motion Sensors for Powered Exoskeleton without Binding Legs." Applied Sciences 9, no. 1 (January 4, 2019): 164. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app9010164.

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In this study, we propose a novel power assist control method for a powered exoskeleton without binding its legs. The proposed method uses motion sensors on the wearer’s torso and legs to estimate his/her motion to enable the powered exoskeleton to assist with the estimated motion. It can detect the start of walking motion quickly because it does not prevent the motion of the wearer’s knees at the beginning of the walk. A nine-axis motion sensor on the wearer’s body is designed to work robustly in very hot and humid spaces, where an electromyograph is not reliable due to the wearer’s sweat. Moreover, the sensor avoids repeated impact during the walk because it is attached to the body of the wearer. Our powered exoskeleton recognizes the motion of the wearer based on a database and accordingly predicts the motion of the powered exoskeleton that supports the wearer. Experiments were conducted to prove the validity of the proposed method.

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Martelli, Dario, Federica Vannetti, Mario Cortese, Peppino Tropea, Francesco Giovacchini, Silvestro Micera, Vito Monaco, and Nicola Vitiello. "The effects on biomechanics of walking and balance recovery in a novel pelvis exoskeleton during zero-torque control." Robotica 32, no. 8 (June 20, 2014): 1317–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0263574714001568.

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SUMMARYFall-related accidents are among the most serious concerns in elderly people, amputees and subjects with neurological disorders. The aim of this paper was to investigate the behaviour of healthy subjects wearing a novel light-weight pelvis exoskeleton controlled in zero-torque mode while carrying out unperturbed locomotion and managing unexpected perturbations. Results showed that the proposed exoskeleton was unobtrusive and had a minimum loading effect on the human biomechanics during unperturbed locomotion. Conversely, it affected the movement of the trailing leg while subjects managed unexpected slipping-like perturbations. These findings support further investigations on the potential use of powered exoskeletons to assist locomotion and, possibly prevent incipient falls.

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Kumar, Neelesh, Davinder Pal Singh, Dinesh Pankaj, Sanjeev Soni, and Amod Kumar. "Exoskeleton Device for Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients Using SEMG during Isometric Contraction." Advanced Materials Research 403-408 (November 2011): 2033–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.403-408.2033.

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Robots are becoming more interactive and assisting to human beings day by day. They are serving humanity in the fields of industry, defense and medicine. Exoskeletons are also devices that reside in category of wearable robotics. An exoskeleton is an external structural mechanism with joints and links corresponding to those of the human body. With applications in rehabilitation medicine and virtual reality simulation, exoskeletons offer benefits for both disabled and healthy populations. Exoskeletons can be used as a capability magnifier or assisting device. This paper presents a proposed design for smart active exoskeleton for lower limbs. This proposed exoskeleton design not only assist a person but also tries to improve its GAIT. The twin wearable legs are powered by Actuators, all controlled by a microprocessor. The simulation results of the control mechanism shows its smart capabilities. In addition, the processor based control produces a more natural muscle like activity and as such can be considered a soft and bio-mimetic actuation system. This capacity to “replicate” the function of natural muscle and inherent safety is extremely important when working in close proximity to humans. The integration of the components sections and testing of the performance will also be considered to show how the structure and actuators can be combined to produce the various systems needed for a highly flexible/low weight clinically viable rehabilitation exoskeleton.

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Zhang, Lixun, Lailu Li, Zhiming Chen, and Da Song. "Prototype design, modeling, and experimental research of a novel lower limb powered exoskeleton." Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science 231, no. 20 (June 14, 2016): 3766–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0954406216654937.

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In this paper, a new type of lower limb powered exoskeleton is presented, which is based on a screw-nut actuated mechanism to help paraplegics to stand, walk and accomplish activities of daily living. The Denavit–Hartenberg method and the Kane method are adopted to establish a kinematic and dynamic model of novel lower limb powered exoskeleton to analyze the workspace and the control strategy simulation. A double-closed loop control strategy is proposed to ensure precision, and its effectiveness is validated. The results of prototype gait control and patient experiments show that the new type of lower limb powered exoskeleton can enable patients to realize stable and smooth walking.

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Rodionov, Aleksandr S., Aleksandr P. Kovalenko, Dmitriy I. Kremlуоv, and Dmitriy V. Averkiуev. "Exo-rehabilitation of patients with spastic hemiparesis: high technology." Russian Military Medical Academy Reports 40, no. 1 (May 17, 2021): 53–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.17816/rmmar64480.

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AIM: Walking disorders are a frequent consequence of stroke. New technologies, such as the use of robotic exoskeletons, can help with recovery, but their effectiveness has not yet been sufficiently proven. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two patients with spasticity and walking disorders (stroke duration from 1.5 to 4 years) were included in the study. The Tardieu Scale, Modified Ashworth scale, Medical Research Council Scale, 10 Meter Walk Test, Rivermead Mobility Index, Berg Balance Test, Rankin scale, and a Visual Analog Scale (to assess patient satisfaction with treatment) were used in assessments. The patients were randomized into 2 groups (n = 22 20): the first group received exoskeleton walk training with the powered exoskeleton, ExoAtlet, and the second group received physical therapy sessions, each for 1 hour daily over 10 days. Clinical evaluations of patients were performed at 3 timepoints: baseline (Day 1), and 12. RESULTS: Comparison of both groups at the second timepoint showed significantly better results (p 0.05) in the first group vs the second group. Walking speed increased due to balance training, correction of postural disorders, spastic muscle stretching, and stretch reflex suppression. CONCLUSION: The wearable powered ExoAtlet exoskeleton is a promising technology for improving walking (2 tables, bibliography: 13 refs).

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Rosen, J., M. Brand, M. B. Fuchs, and M. Arcan. "A myosignal-based powered exoskeleton system." IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics - Part A: Systems and Humans 31, no. 3 (May 2001): 210–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/3468.925661.

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Jin, Xin, Jia Guo, Zhong Li, and Ruihao Wang. "Motion Prediction of Human Wearing Powered Exoskeleton." Mathematical Problems in Engineering 2020 (December 21, 2020): 1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8899880.

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With the development of powered exoskeleton in recent years, one important limitation is the capability of collaborating with human. Human-machine interaction requires the exoskeleton to accurately predict the human motion of the upcoming movement. Many recent works implement neural network algorithms such as recurrent neural networks (RNN) in motion prediction. However, they are still insufficient in efficiency and accuracy. In this paper, a Gaussian process latent variable model (GPLVM) is employed to transform the high-dimensional data into low-dimensional data. Combining with the nonlinear autoregressive (NAR) neural network, the GPLVM-NAR method is proposed to predict human motions. Experiments with volunteers wearing powered exoskeleton performing different types of motion are conducted. Results validate that the proposed method can forecast the future human motion with relative error of 2%∼5% and average calculation time of 120 s∼155 s, depending on the type of different motions.

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MacLean, Mhairi K., and Daniel P. Ferris. "Energetics of Walking With a Robotic Knee Exoskeleton." Journal of Applied Biomechanics 35, no. 5 (October 1, 2019): 320–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jab.2018-0384.

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The authors tested 4 young healthy subjects walking with a powered knee exoskeleton to determine if it could reduce the metabolic cost of locomotion. Subjects walked with a backpack loaded and unloaded, on a treadmill with inclinations of 0° and 15°, and outdoors with varied natural terrain. Participants walked at a self-selected speed (average 1.0 m/s) for all conditions, except incline treadmill walking (average 0.5 m/s). The authors hypothesized that the knee exoskeleton would reduce the metabolic cost of walking uphill and with a load compared with walking without the exoskeleton. The knee exoskeleton reduced metabolic cost by 4.2% in the 15° incline with the backpack load. All other conditions had an increase in metabolic cost when using the knee exoskeleton compared with not using the exoskeleton. There was more variation in metabolic cost over the outdoor walking course with the knee exoskeleton than without it. Our findings indicate that powered assistance at the knee is more likely to decrease the metabolic cost of walking in uphill conditions and during loaded walking rather than in level conditions without a backpack load. Differences in positive mechanical work demand at the knee for varying conditions may explain the differences in metabolic benefit from the exoskeleton.

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Chen, Qiming, Hong Cheng, Chunfeng Yue, Rui Huang, and Hongliang Guo. "Dynamic Balance Gait for Walking Assistance Exoskeleton." Applied Bionics and Biomechanics 2018 (July 2, 2018): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/7847014.

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Purpose. Powered lower-limb exoskeleton has gained considerable interests, since it can help patients with spinal cord injury(SCI) to stand and walk again. Providing walking assistance with SCI patients, most exoskeletons are designed to follow predefined gait trajectories, which makes the patient walk unnaturally and feels uncomfortable. Furthermore, exoskeletons with predefined gait trajectories cannot always maintain balance walking especially when encountering disturbances. Design/Methodology/Approach. This paper proposed a novel gait planning approach, which aims to provide reliable and balance gait during walking assistance. In this approach, we model the exoskeleton and patient together as a linear inverted pendulum (LIP) and obtain the patients intention through orbital energy diagram. To achieve dynamic gait planning of exoskeleton, the dynamic movement primitive (DMP) is utilized to model the gait trajectory. Meanwhile, the parameters of DMP are updated dynamically during one step, which aims to improve the ability of counteracting external disturbance. Findings. The proposed approach is validated in a human-exoskeleton simulation platform, and the experimental results show the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed approach. Originality/Value. We decomposed the issue of obtain dynamic balance gait into three parts: (1) based on the sensory information of exoskeleton, the intention estimator is designed to estimate the intention of taking a step; (2) at the beginning of each step, the discrete gait planner utilized the obtained gait parameters such as step length S and step duration T and generate the trajectory of swing foot based on S,T; (3) during walking process, continuous gait regulator is utilized to adjust the gait generated by discrete gait planner to counteract disturbance.

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Arabiat, Ayeh, Mohammad Matahen, Omar Abu Zaid, and Moudar Zgoul. "Control of an Exoskeleton for Lower Limb Rehabilitation Using ANFIS." International Journal of Online and Biomedical Engineering (iJOE) 18, no. 15 (December 6, 2022): 122–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v18i15.33805.

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Exoskeletons are powered robotic devices designed to be worn by humans to provide physical assistance or power augmentation. In this work, a control system for a powered exoskeleton is designed. This exoskeleton is aimed at aiding in the rehabilitation of Spinal Bifidas. Spinal Bifida is the most common disability in childhood after Cerebral Palsy, it is a defective development of the spinal cord during conception. Two phases for this work are presented: system identification and control using ANFIS. While it is difficult to attain an accurate dynamical model of complex system, this work employed ANFIS to help control and stabilize the system. Gait trajectories were obtained by modeling the system as a linear inverted pendulum, a simulation was performed with a traditional controller. Afterwards, trajectory data was obtained and used to train and test ANFIS to create the model and controller. One, two and three inputs were investigated to train the ANFIS. Results showed that the one-input model visibly failed to follow the trajectory. The average RMSE for the two-input model was 0.096, and for the three-inputs, the RMSE on average was higher; 0.19, making it worse, however the knee model contrastingly showed improvement, as the RMSE was lower by 2% for the knee specifically.

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Alguacil-Diego, Isabel-María, Alicia Cuesta-Gómez, Aldo-Francisco Contreras-González, David Pont-Esteban, David Cantalejo-Escobar, Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Urán, and Manuel Ferre. "Validation of a Hybrid Exoskeleton for Upper Limb Rehabilitation. A Preliminary Study." Sensors 21, no. 21 (November 4, 2021): 7342. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s21217342.

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Recovery of therapeutic or functional ambulatory capacity in patients with rotator cuff injury is a primary goal of rehabilitation. Wearable powered exoskeletons allow patients to perform repetitive practice with large movements to maximize recovery, even immediately after the acute event. The aim of this paper is to describe the usability, acceptability and acceptance of a hybrid exoskeleton for upper-limb passive rehabilitation using the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. This equipment, called ExoFlex, is defined as a hybrid exoskeleton since it is made up of rigid and soft components. The exoskeleton mechanical description is presented along with its control system and the way motion is structured in rehabilitation sessions. Seven patients (six women and one man) have participated in the evaluation of this equipment, which are in the range of 50 to 79 years old. Preliminary evidence of the acceptance and usability by both patients and clinicians are very promising, obtaining an average score of 80.71 in the SUS test, as well as good results in a questionnaire that evaluates the clinicians’ perceived usability of ExoFlex.

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Duddy, Damien, Rónán Doherty, James Connolly, Johnny Loughrey, Joan Condell, David Hassan, and Maria Faulkner. "The Cardiorespiratory Demands of Treadmill Walking with and without the Use of Ekso GT™ within Able-Bodied Participants: A Feasibility Study." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 10 (May 19, 2022): 6176. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106176.

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Individuals with neurological impairments tend to lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle due to impaired gait function and mobility. This may be detrimental to health by negatively impacting cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength, and increasing the risk of developing secondary health problems. Powered exoskeletons are assistive devices that may aid neurologically impaired individuals in achieving the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) physical activity (PA) guidelines for health. Increased PA should elicit a sufficient cardiorespiratory stimulus to provide health benefits to exoskeleton users. This study examined the cardiorespiratory demands of treadmill walking with and without the Ekso GT™ among able-bodied participants. The Ekso GT™ is a powered exoskeleton that enables individuals with neurological impairments to walk by supporting full body mass with motors attached at the hip and knee joints to generate steps. This feasibility study consisted of one group of healthy able-bodied individuals (n = 8). Participants completed two 12 min treadmill walking assessments, one with and one without the Ekso GT™ at the same fixed speed. Throughout each walking bout, various cardiorespiratory parameters, namely, volume of oxygen per kilogram (kg) of body mass (V˙O2·kg−1), volume of carbon dioxide per kg of body mass (V˙CO2·kg−1), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), ventilation (V˙E), heart rate (HR), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE), were recorded. Treadmill walking with Ekso GT™ elevated all recorded measurements to a significantly greater level (p ≤ 0.05) (except RER at 1 km·h–1; p = 0.230) than treadmill walking without the Ekso GT™ did at the same fixed speed. An increased cardiorespiratory response was recorded during treadmill walking with the exoskeleton. Exoskeleton walking may, therefore, be an effective method to increase PA levels and provide sufficient stimulus in accordance with the PA guidelines to promote cardiorespiratory fitness and subsequently enhance overall health.

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Platz, Thomas, Annett Gillner, Nicole Borgwaldt, Sylvia Kroll, and Sybille Roschka. "Device-Training for Individuals with Thoracic and Lumbar Spinal Cord Injury Using a Powered Exoskeleton for Technically Assisted Mobility: Achievements and User Satisfaction." BioMed Research International 2016 (2016): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8459018.

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Objective. Results of a device-training for nonambulatory individuals with thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury (SCI) using a powered exoskeleton for technically assisted mobility with regard to the achieved level of control of the system after training, user satisfaction, and effects on quality of life (QoL).Methods. Observational single centre study with a 4-week to 5-week intensive inpatient device-training using a powered exoskeleton (ReWalk™).Results. All 7 individuals with SCI who commenced the device-training completed the course of training and achieved basic competences to use the system, that is, the ability to stand up, sit down, keep balance while standing, and walk indoors, at least with a close contact guard. User satisfaction with the system and device-training was documented for several aspects. The quality of life evaluation (SF-12v2™) indicated that the use of the powered exoskeleton can have positive effects on the perception of individuals with SCI regarding what they can achieve physically. Few adverse events were observed: minor skin lesions and irritations were observed; no falls occurred.Conclusions. The device-training for individuals with thoracic and lumbar SCI was effective and safe. All trained individuals achieved technically assisted mobility with the exoskeleton while still needing a close contact guard.

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Bequette, Blake, Adam Norton, Eric Jones, and Leia Stirling. "The Effect of a Powered Lower-Body Exoskeleton on Physical and Cognitive Warfighter Performance." Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 62, no. 1 (September 2018): 1663–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1541931218621377.

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This study analyzed the performance of twelve military members in a simulated, fatigue-inducing patrol task under three conditions: wearing a powered exoskeleton, wearing an unpowered exoskeleton, and without wearing an exoskeleton. While walking with weight at a prescribed pace over obstacles while following a confederate, participants were subject to a dual-task cognitive test in which they answered radio calls and visually scanned for lighted targets. Cognitive load was varied through a secondary radio task and measured with a visual reaction time test. Physical load and cognitive load were varied throughout the test. For this paper, the dependent measures of interest were reaction time for the visual task and lag time behind the confederate. Significant differences and interactions were found in the visual reaction time among the exoskeleton conditions, physical loads, and cognitive loads. Significant differences and interactions were also found for the lag time of the subject behind their prescribed pace, and the variability of this lag time. Both measures had significant interactions with subject. Future work should examine what design features of the exoskeleton and capability of the human are related to these variabilities. An understanding of subject variability can lead to improvements in integrated exoskeleton design.

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Vitiello, Nicola, Tommaso Lenzi, Stefano Roccella, Stefano Marco Maria De Rossi, Emanuele Cattin, Francesco Giovacchini, Fabrizio Vecchi, and Maria Chiara Carrozza. "NEUROExos: A Powered Elbow Exoskeleton for Physical Rehabilitation." IEEE Transactions on Robotics 29, no. 1 (February 2013): 220–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/tro.2012.2211492.

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Otten, Alexander, Carsten Voort, Arno Stienen, Ronald Aarts, Edwin van Asseldonk, and Herman van der Kooij. "LIMPACT:A Hydraulically Powered Self-Aligning Upper Limb Exoskeleton." IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 20, no. 5 (October 2015): 2285–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/tmech.2014.2375272.

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Contreras-Vidal, Jose L., Atilla Kilicarslan, He (Helen) Huang, and Robert G. Grossman. "Human-Centered Design of Wearable Neuroprostheses and Exoskeletons." AI Magazine 36, no. 4 (December 31, 2015): 12–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v36i4.2613.

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Human-centered design of wearable robots involves the development of innovative science and technologies that minimize the mismatch between humans’ and machines’ capabilities, leading to their intuitive integration and confluent interaction. Here, we summarize our human-centered approach to the design of closed-loop brain-machine interfaces (BMI) to powered prostheses and exoskeletons that allow people to act beyond their impaired or diminished physical or sensory-motor capabilities. The goal is to develop multifunctional human-machine interfaces with integrated diagnostic, assistive and therapeutic functions. Moreover, these complex human-machine systems should be effective, reliable, safe and engaging and support the patient in performing intended actions with minimal effort and errors with adequate interaction time. To illustrate our approach, we review an example of a user-in-the-loop, patient-centered, non-invasive BMI system to a powered exoskeleton for persons with paraplegia. We conclude with a summary of challenges to the translation of these complex human-machine systems to the end-user.

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Meng, Qiaoling, Qiaolian Xie, Haicun Shao, Wujing Cao, Feng Wang, Lulu Wang, Hongliu Yu, and Sujiao Li. "Pilot Study of a Powered Exoskeleton for Upper Limb Rehabilitation Based on the Wheelchair." BioMed Research International 2019 (December 18, 2019): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9627438.

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To help hemiplegic patients with stroke to restore impaired or lost upper extremity functionalities efficiently, the design of upper limb rehabilitation robotics which can substitute human practice becomes more important. The aim of this work is to propose a powered exoskeleton for upper limb rehabilitation based on a wheelchair in order to increase the frequency of training and reduce the preparing time per training. This paper firstly analyzes the range of motion (ROM) of the flexion/extension, adduction/abduction, and internal/external of the shoulder joint, the flexion/extension of the elbow joint, the pronation/supination of the forearm, the flexion/extension and ulnar/radial of the wrist joint by measuring the normal people who are sitting on a wheelchair. Then, a six-degree-of-freedom exoskeleton based on a wheelchair is designed according to the defined range of motion. The kinematics model and workspace are analyzed to understand the position of the exoskeleton. In the end, the test of ROM of each joint has been done. The maximum error of measured and desired shoulder flexion and extension joint angle is 14.98%. The maximum error of measured and desired elbow flexion and extension joint angle is 14.56%. It is acceptable for rehabilitation training. Meanwhile, the movement of drinking water can be realized in accordance with the range of motion. It demonstrates that the proposed upper limb exoskeleton can also assist people with upper limb disorder to deal with activities of daily living. The feasibility of the proposed powered exoskeleton for upper limb rehabilitation training and function compensating based on a wheelchair is proved.

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Kim, Bongsu, and Ashish D. Deshpande. "An upper-body rehabilitation exoskeleton Harmony with an anatomical shoulder mechanism: Design, modeling, control, and performance evaluation." International Journal of Robotics Research 36, no. 4 (April 2017): 414–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0278364917706743.

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We present an upper-body exoskeleton for rehabilitation, called Harmony, that provides natural coordinated motions on the shoulder with a wide range of motion, and force and impedance controllability. The exoskeleton consists of an anatomical shoulder mechanism with five active degrees of freedom, and one degree of freedom elbow and wrist mechanisms powered by series elastic actuators. The dynamic model of the exoskeleton is formulated using a recursive Newton–Euler algorithm with spatial dynamics representation. A baseline control algorithm is developed to achieve dynamic transparency and scapulohumeral rhythm assistance, and the coupled stability of the robot–human system at the baseline control is investigated. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the exoskeleton. The results show that the exoskeleton exhibits good kinematic compatibility to the human body with a wide range of motion and performs task-space force and impedance control behaviors reliably.

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Stoica, Bianca-Maria, and Mihaela Ioana Baritz. "LEGO application for a microelectronics powered upper limb exoskeleton." IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1256, no. 1 (October 1, 2022): 012026. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1256/1/012026.

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Abstract In general, the main aim of education through models is based on stimulating young people's ability to think logically and use their creativity to develop practical problem-solving skills. Over time, the standard educational process has identified the need to find and use new ways of transmitting basic information in the teaching of students and this way has been quantified by the phrase - serious games. This approach allows a faster and more efficient access of users (pupils-students) to the information bases and a correct and beneficial transmission of their theoretical and practical training. Thus, in the first part of the paper a number of aspects related to educational resources based on Lego pieces and an analysis of the opportunity of their use in the processes of instruction, learning and creation are presented. In the second part of the paper, an analysis of the different variants of Lego pieces assemblies used for the development of exoskeleton shapes or for upper limb training is carried out, as well as for the study of the possibility of obtaining versatile and customized variants. In the third part of the paper, the experimental model of a microelectronically actuated upper limb exoskeleton is presented, useful in training procedures for the rehabilitation of elbow joint and wrist movements. In the final part of the paper, observations obtained from the construction of the system and conclusions regarding the use of such a demonstration-educational model in practical problem-solving skills development actions are presented.

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Fournier, Brandon N., Edward D. Lemaire, Andrew J. J. Smith, and Marc Doumit. "Modeling and Simulation of a Lower Extremity Powered Exoskeleton." IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering 26, no. 8 (August 2018): 1596–603. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/tnsre.2018.2854605.

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Lafeber, A. F., W. van Dijk, and Y. Takeda. "Evaluation of Spring Implementation to Reduce the Required Motor Energy in a Walking Assist Exoskeleton with Linear Actuation (Walking Assist Machine Using Crutches)." Applied Mechanics and Materials 162 (March 2012): 242–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.162.242.

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Powered robotic exoskeletons used to assist in human locomotion require a lot of energy. The Walking Assist Machine using Crutches (WAMC) is such an exoskeleton used to assist paraplegic people in walking. It uses telescopic links actuated by DC motors and people wearing the device move crutches themselves. An simulation of the WAMC was done to see if the implementation of springs could lead to a reduction in required motor energy. The simulation showed that a configuration with springs reduces the required motor energy and increases the walking speed compared to the original configuration without springs. In the simulation the user had to spend more effort to swing the crutches forward, if the springs were implemented in the system.

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Liu, Fang, Wen Ming Cheng, and Nan Zhao. "Optimal Design of Lower Extremity for Portable Human Exoskeletons Using Improved Particle Swarm Optimization." Advanced Materials Research 538-541 (June 2012): 3215–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.538-541.3215.

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Portable powered human exoskeleton is directed at providing necessary support and help for loaded legged locomotion. The kernel of whole mechanical construction of the exoskeleton is lower extremities. The lower extremities consist of exoskeleton thigh, exoskeleton shank, hydraulic cylinder and corresponding joints. In order to find the optimal combination of design parameters of lower extremities, an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm based on simulated annealing is proposed. To improve global and local search ability of the proposed approach, the inertia weight is varied over time, and jumping probability of simulated annealing is adopted in updating the position vector of particles. Experimental results show that the improved algorithm can obtain the optimal design solutions stably and effectively with less iteration compared to the standard particle swarm optimization and simulated annealing.

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Athrey, Prajwal L. "Design and Fabrication of Exoskeleton Arm for Lifting Weight." International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology 10, no. 6 (June 30, 2022): 4931–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2022.45127.

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Abstract: For centuries now, humans have developed machines for tasks which are too labour intensive for species cannot do. So, creative imagination and subtle engineering has led to the development of the powered exoskeleton. It is a device which can be worn over the human body. The robotic exoskeleton systems are developed significantly to be used for human power assist and haptic interaction with human Motion. The designed pneumatic arm consists of cylinders, a shaft efforts with lead screw mechanism able of converting a movement of piston to rotational movement of arm by utilizing the compressed air from pneumatic system. The designed processes of the suit is carried out based on some integrated information of kinematic, dynamics and structural analysis of the desired exoskeleton configuration as a whole. Since, such exoskeleton directly interacts with a human body there are some mechanical limitations to its design. While designing such exoskeleton movable range of arms, safety and comfort Wearing, low inertia, adaptability are considered.

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Su, Chen, Ao Chai, Xikai Tu, Hongyu Zhou, Haiqiang Wang, Zufang Zheng, Jingyan Cao, and Jiping He. "Passive and Active Control Strategies of a Leg Rehabilitation Exoskeleton Powered by Pneumatic Artificial Muscles." International Journal of Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence 31, no. 10 (March 9, 2017): 1759021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0218001417590212.

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Nerve injury can cause lower limb paralysis and gait disorder. Currently lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots used in the hospitals need more power to correct abnormal motor patterns of stroke patients’ legs. These gait rehabilitation robots are powered by cumbersome and bulky electric motors, which provides a poor user experience. A newly developed gait rehabilitation exoskeleton robot actuated by low-cost and lightweight pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) is presented in this research. A model-free proxy-based sliding mode control (PSMC) strategy and a model-based chattering mitigation robust variable control (CRVC) strategy were developed and first applied in rehabilitation trainings, respectively. As the dynamic response of PAM due to the compressed air is low, an innovative intention identification control strategy was taken in active trainings by the use of the subject’s intention indirectly through the estimation of the interaction force between the subject’s leg and the exoskeleton. The proposed intention identification strategy was verified by treadmill-based gait training experiments.

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Mu, Jiamin, Hongzhou Jiang, Yuxiang Hua, Jie Zhao, and Yanhe Zhu. "Design and Implementation of a Lightweight Lower Extremity Exoskeleton." MATEC Web of Conferences 291 (2019): 02010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201929102010.

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This paper summarizes the biomechanics simulation and design of a lightweight lower extremity exoskeleton. The biomechanics simulation was carried out using LifeMOD to obtain joint torques of human body in the condition of its applications including walking on flat ground, ascending stairs, sitting down and standing up which provided the design criteria of actuating torques. The anthropomorphically based exoskeleton has 7 degrees of freedom per leg, two of which are powered by brushless DC motors, and the total mass is less than 12 kg due to the use of carbon fiber material and the compact structural design and optimization. Controlling and sensing system based on CANopen communication protocol is proposed which can provide high communication efficiency and reliability for the control of the exoskeleton.

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Ranaweera, R. K. P. S., R. A. R. C. Gopura, T. S. S. Jayawardena, and G. K. I. Mann. "Development of A Passively Powered Knee Exoskeleton for Squat Lifting." Journal of Robotics, Networking and Artificial Life 5, no. 1 (2018): 45. http://dx.doi.org/10.2991/jrnal.2018.5.1.11.

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Milia, Paolo, Federico De Salvo, Marco Caserio, Tyler Cope, Patti Weber, Caroline Santella, Stefano Fiorini, et al. "Neurorehabilitation in paraplegic patients with an active powered exoskeleton (Ekso)." Digital Medicine 2, no. 4 (2016): 163. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/digm.digm_51_16.

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Ramanujam, Arvind, Christopher M. Cirnigliaro, Erica Garbarini, Pierre Asselin, Rakesh Pilkar, and Gail F. Forrest. "Neuromechanical adaptations during a robotic powered exoskeleton assisted walking session." Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine 41, no. 5 (April 20, 2017): 518–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10790268.2017.1314900.

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Manna, Soumya Kanti, and Subhasis Bhaumik. "A Bioinspired 10 DOF Wearable Powered Arm Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation." Journal of Robotics 2013 (2013): 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/741359.

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The developed exoskeleton device (Exorn) has ten degrees of freedom to control joints starting from shoulder griddle to wrist to provide better redundancy, portability, and flexibility to the human arm motion. A 3D conceptual model is being designed to make the system wearable by human arm. All the joints are simple revolute joints with desired motion limit. A Simulink model of the human arm is being developed with proper mass and length to determine proper torque required for actuating those joints. Forward kinematics of the whole system has been formulated for getting desired dexterous workspace. A proper and simple Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the required embedded system have been designed for providing physiotherapy lessons to the patients. In the literature review it has been found that researchers have generally ignored the motion of shoulder griddle. Here we have implemented those motions in our design. It has also been found that people have taken elbow pronation and supination motion as a part of shoulder internal and external rotation though both motions are quite different. A predefined resolved motion rate control structure with independent joint control is used so that all movements can be controlled in a predefined way.

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Cavallaro, E. E., J. Rosen, J. C. Perry, and S. Burns. "Real-Time Myoprocessors for a Neural Controlled Powered Exoskeleton Arm." IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering 53, no. 11 (November 2006): 2387–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/tbme.2006.880883.

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Hartigan, Clare, Casey Kandilakis, Skyler Dalley, Mike Clausen, Edgar Wilson, Scott Morrison, Steven Etheridge, and Ryan Farris. "Mobility Outcomes Following Five Training Sessions with a Powered Exoskeleton." Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation 21, no. 2 (March 2015): 93–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1310/sci2102-93.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Powered Exoskeleton'

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