Proposal for a Modular-Type Knee-Assistive Wearable Unit and Verification of Its Feasibility

Abstract

To study human locomotor adaptation and feasibility, we used a lower limb robotic exoskeleton controlled by the wearer's muscle activity. A healthy and normal subject walked while wearing an electrically powered knee exoskeleton on two knees, which effectively increased the plantar flexor strength of the knees and their neighboring muscles. We examined the capabilities and feasibility of knee assistive system (KAS) by testing the adapted motor pattern and the EMG signal variance for exoskeleton walking. It is designed for specific tasks such as level walking and step walking while the user is carrying heavy materials. Using the KAS; custom-made muscle stiffness sensors (MSS), we analyzed the muscle activity pattern which was implemented on the operating algorithm of KAS while he was walking, and examined its feasibility. The results demonstrate that robotic exoskeletons controlled by muscle activity could be useful way of assisting with human walking.