Exotendons for assistance of human locomotion.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Powered robotic exoskeletons for assistance of human locomotion are currently under development for military and medical applications. The energy requirements for such devices are excessive, and this has become a major obstacle for practical applications. Legged locomotion in many animals, however, is very energy efficient. We propose that poly-articular elastic mechanisms are a major contributor to the economy of locomotion in such specialized animals. Consequently, it should be possible to design unpowered assistive devices that make effective use of similar mechanisms.

Methods

A passive assistive technology is presented, based on long elastic cords attached to an exoskeleton and guided by pulleys placed at the joints. A general optimization procedure is describ

SUBMITTER: van den Bogert AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC270067 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature