Hip–Knee Coupling Exoskeleton With Offset Theory for Walking Assistance

Abstract

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To alleviate the influence of aging on the elderly, a hip–knee coupling exoskeleton with offset theory is designed in this article to improve people’s athletic ability. With the novel design, the unique application strategy of the offset principle for hip and knee joints is developed, and a hip–knee coupling mechanism is proposed to solve the discrete power assistance problem for the knee joint. To acquire the success of the design, the mathematical model of the coupling mechanism is established to optimize the load environment of the exoskeleton system, and furthermore, an algorithm adapted to human movement is proposed to determine the monotonicity of the cam profiles. For the selection of the elastic parameters in the coupling mechanism, the sensitivity condition is proposed, and the human–machine interaction model of the KESM is further established. A man–machine coupling model was used to verify the scientificity of the exoskeleton design, and the comparison between the joint powers with or without exoskeleton indicated that the exoskeleton theoretically saved at least 20% of the human body’s energy.

Keywords

• exoskeleton
• couple mechanism
• offset theory
• joint power consumption
• walking assistance