Coupled exoskeleton assistance simplifies control and maintains metabolic benefits: A simulation study.

ABSTRACT: Assistive exoskeletons can reduce the metabolic cost of walking, and recent advances in exoskeleton device design and control have resulted in large metabolic savings. Most exoskeleton devices provide assistance at either the ankle or hip. Exoskeletons that assist multiple joints have the potential to provide greater metabolic savings, but can require many actuators and complicated controllers, making it difficult to design effective assistance. Coupled assistance, when two or more joints are assisted using one actuator or control signal, could reduce control dimensionality while retaining metabolic benefits. However, it is unknown which combinations of assisted joints are most promising and if there are negative consequences associated with coupled assistance. Since designing assistance w

SUBMITTER: Bianco NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8730392 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature