Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:26:36.131Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Design and Experimental Evaluation of Wearable Lower Extremity Exoskeleton with Gait Self-adaptivity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2019

Wenkang Wang ,
Liancun Zhang ,
Kangjian Cai ,
Zhiheng Wang ,
Bainan Zhang  and
Qiang Huang
Wenkang Wang
Affiliation:
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. E-mail: [email protected]
Liancun Zhang*
Affiliation:
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Kangjian Cai
Affiliation:
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Zhiheng Wang
Affiliation:
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Bainan Zhang
Affiliation:
School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. E-mail: [email protected] Institute of Manned Space System Engineering, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing 100094, China
Qiang Huang
Affiliation:
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100081, China. E-mail: [email protected] State Key Lab of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

In this paper, we present a passive lower extremity exoskeleton with a simple structure and a light weight. The exoskeleton does not require any external energy source and can achieve energy transfer only by human body’s own gravity. The exoskeleton is self-adaptive to human gait to achieve basic matching therewith. During walking, pulling forces are generated through Bowden cables by pressing plantar power output devices by feet, and the forces are transmitted to the exoskeleton through a crank-slider mechanism to enable the exoskeleton to provide torques for the ankle and knee joints as required by the human body during the stance phase and the swing phase. Our self-developed gait detection system is used to perform experiments on kinematics, dynamics and metabolic cost during walking of the human body wearing the exoskeleton in different states. The experimental results show that the exoskeleton has the greatest influence on motion of the ankle joint and has the least influence on hip joint. With the increase in elastic coefficient of the spring, the torques generated at the joints by the exoskeleton increase. When walking with wearing k3EF exoskeleton at a speed of 0.5 m/s, it can save the most metabolic cost, reaching 13.63%.

Keywords

Lower extremity exoskeletonGait self-adaptivityPassiveMechanical designExperimental evaluation
Type
Articles
Information
Robotica , Volume 37 , Special Issue 12: Wearable Robotics: Dynamics, Control and Applications , December 2019 , pp. 2035 - 2055
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Tsukahara, A., Hasegawa, Y., Eguchi, K. and Sankai, Y., “Restoration of gait for spinal cord injury patients using HAL with intention estimator for preferable swing speed,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 23(2), 308–318 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mertz, L., “The next generation of exoskeletons: Lighter, cheaper devices are in the works,” IEEE Pulse 3(4), 56–61 (2012).Google Scholar
Esquenazi, A., Talaty, M., Packel, A. and Saulino, M., “The ReWalk powered exoskeleton to restore ambulatory function to individuals with thoracic-level motor-complete spinal cord injury,” Am. J. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 91(11), 911–921 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tu, X., Huang, J. and He, J., “Leg hybrid rehabilitation based on hip-knee exoskeleton and ankle motion induced by FES,” International Conference on Advanced Robotics & Mechatronics, Macau. China (2016) pp. 237–242.Google Scholar
Knaepen, K., Beyl, P., Duerinck, S., Hagman, F., Lefeber, D. and Meeusen, R., “Human-robot interaction: Kinematics and muscle activity inside a powered compliant knee exoskeleton,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 22(6), 1128–1137 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asseldonk, E. H. F. V., Veneman, J. F., Ekkelenkamp, R., Buurke, J. H., Helm, F. C. T. V. and Kooij, H. V. D., “The effects on kinematics and muscle activity of walking in a robotic gait trainer during zero-force control,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 16(4), 360 (2008).Google Scholar
Asbeck, A. T., De Rossi, S. M. M., Holt, K. G. and Walsh, C. J., “A biologically inspired soft Exosuit for walking assistance,” Int. J. Robot. Res. 34(6), 744–762 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wehner, M., Quinlivan, B., Aubin, P. M., Martinez-Villalpando, E., Baumann, M., Stirling, L., Holt, K., Wood, R. and Walsh, C., “A Lightweight soft Exosuit for Gait Assistance,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Karlsruhe. Germany (2013) pp. 3362–3369.Google Scholar
Kawamura, T., Takanaka, K., Nakamura, T. and Osumi, H., “Development of an Orthosis for Walking Assistance Using Pneumatic Artificial Muscle: A Quantitative Assessment of the Effect of Assistance,” IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics. Washington. USA (2013) p. 6650350.Google Scholar
Li, Y. and Hashimoto, M., “Design and prototyping of a novel lightweight walking assist wear using PVC gel soft actuators,” Sens. Actuators A Phys. 239, 26–44 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, J., Huang, J., Wang, Y. and Xing, K., “Nonlinear disturbance observer-based dynamic surface control for trajectory tracking of pneumatic muscle system,” IEEE Trans. Control Syst. Technol. 22(2), 440–455 (2014).Google Scholar
Xing, K., Xu, Q., Huang, J., Wang, Y., He, J. and Wu, J., “Tracking control of pneumatic artificial muscle actuators based on sliding mode and non-linear disturbance observer,” IET Control Theory Appl . 4(10), 2058–2070 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dollar, A. M. and Herr, H., “Design of a Quasi-passive Knee Exoskeleton to Assist Running,” IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Nice. France (2008) pp. 747–754.Google Scholar
Hasegawa, Y. and Ogura, K., “First report on passive exoskeleton for easy running: PEXER IV,” MHS2013, Nagoya, Japan (2013), pp. 1–6.Google Scholar
Agrawal, S. K., Banala, S. K. and Fattah, A., “A Gravity Balancing Passive Exoskeleton for the Human Leg,” Robotics: Science & Systems. Philadelphia. USA (2006).Google Scholar
Walsh, C. J., Endo, K. and Herr, H., “A quasi-passive leg exoskeleton for load-carrying augmentation,” Int. J. Hum. Robot. 4(03), 487–506 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Agrawal, S. K., Banala, S. K., Fattah, A., Sangwan, V., Krishnamoorthy, V., Scholz, J. P. and Hsu, W. L., “Assessment of motion of a swing leg and gait rehabilitation with a gravity balancing exoskeleton,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 15(3), 410–420 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dijk, W. V., Kooij, H. V. D. and Hekman, E., “A Passive Exoskeleton with Artificial Tendons: Design and Experimental Evaluation,” IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics. Zurich. Switzerland (2011) p. 5975470.Google Scholar
Dijk, W. V. and Kooij, H. V. D., “XPED2: A passive exoskeleton with artificial tendons,” IEEE Robot. Autom. Mag. 21(4), 56–61 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, S. H., Wiggin, M. B. and Sawicki, G. S., “Reducing the energy cost of human walking using an unpowered exoskeleton,” Nature 522(7555), 212–215 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mcintosh, A. S., Beatty, K. T., Dwan, L. N. and Vickers, D. R., “Gait dynamics on an inclined walkway,” J. Biomech. 39(13), 2491–2502 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gage, J. R., “Surgical treatment of knee dysfunction in cerebral palsy,” Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. 253(253), 45–54 (1990).Google Scholar
Waldock, J. A., Piazza, S. J. and Delp, S. L., “The influence of muscles on knee flexion during the swing phase of gait,” J. Biomech. 29(6), 723–733 (1996).Google Scholar
Loudon, J., Bell, S. and Johnston, J., The clinical orthopedic assessment guide (Human Kinetics, Kansas, USA, 2008).Google Scholar
Kirtley, C., CGA normative gait database, Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ. Available: http://www.clinicalgaitanalysis.com/Google Scholar
Perry, J., Burnfield, J. M. and Cabico, L. M., Gait Analysis: Normal and Pathological Function (Slack, Thorofare, New Jersey, 2010).Google Scholar
Eng, J. J. and Winter, D. A., “Kinetic analysis of the lower limbs during walking: what information can be gained from a three-dimensional model?” J. Biomech. 28(6), 753 (1995).Google ScholarPubMed
Kirtley, C., Clinical Gait Analysis: Theory and Practice (Elsevier, Edinburgh, New York, 2005).Google Scholar
Neumann, D. A., Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Physical Rehabilitation (Mosby, St Louis, USA, 2010).Google Scholar
Kirtley, C., Whittle, M. W. and Jefferson, R. J., “Influence of walking speed on gait parameters,” J. Biomed. Eng. 7(4), 282–288 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kao, P. C., Lewis, C. L. and Ferris, D. P., “Invariant ankle moment patterns when walking with and without a robotic ankle exoskeleton,” J. Biomech. 43(2), 203–209 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philippe, M., Wim, D., Samuel, G. and Dirk, D. C., “A simple exoskeleton that assists plantar flexion can reduce the metabolic cost of human walking,” PLoS One 8(2), e56137 (2013).Google Scholar
Weir, J. B. D. V., “Newmethods for calculatingmetabolic rate with special reference to protein metabolism,” J. Physiol. 109(1–2), 1–9 (1949).CrossRefGoogle Scholar