A Lightweight Powered Hip Exoskeleton with Parallel Actuation for Frontal and Sagittal Plane Assistance

Details

• Personal Author:
  Archangeli D ; Gabert L ; Lenzi T ; Murray R ; Ortolano B
• Description:
  Wearable robots and powered exoskeletons may improve ambulation for millions of individuals with poor mobility. Powered exoskeletons primarily assist in the sagittal plane to improve walking efficiency and speed. However, individuals with poor mobility often have limited mediolateral balance, which requires torque generation in the frontal plane. Existing hip exoskeletons that assist in both the sagittal and frontal planes are too heavy and bulky for use in the real world. Here we present the kinematic model, mechatronic design, and benchtop and human testing of a powered hip exoskeleton with a unique parallel kinematic actuator. The exoskeleton is lightweight (5.3 kg), has a slim profile, and can generate 30 N·m and 20 N·m of torque during gait in the sagittal and frontal planes. The exoskeleton torque density is 5.7 N·m/kg-53% higher than previously possible with series kinematic design. Testing with five healthy subjects indicate that frontal plane torques applied during stance or swing can alter step width, while sagittal plane torque can assist with hip flexion and extension. A device with these characteristics may improve both gait economy and balance in the real world. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Parallel Robots Biomechanical Modeling Biomechanics Exoskeletons Motion Studies Physically Assistive Devices Prosthetics And Exoskeletons Robotics Wearable Robots Wearable Technologies
• ISSN:
  1552-3098
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Denver Region [OSHA] ; Utah
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  41
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070716
• Citation:
  IEEE Trans Robot 2025 Feb; 41:1711-1727
• Contact Point Address:
  Dante Archangeli, Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Robotics Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
• Email:
  dante.archangeli@utah.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  University of Utah
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  IEEE Transactions on Robotics
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8d60f5db9867d685c765595a2b177b79b32deebd90f08edc6ae967aac69ee73623a0eaa6f50559a875511e0c1d8b27732d611669d1cf9e9154d9ce064ce064c6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208888/cdc_208888_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 11.75 MB ]