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CLC number: TP242.6

On-line Access: 2024-08-27

Received: 2023-10-17

Revision Accepted: 2024-05-08

Crosschecked: 2020-04-30

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Citations:  Bibtex RefMan EndNote GB/T7714

 ORCID:

Hugh M. Herr

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3169-1011

Xing-bang Yang

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0387-6043

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Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering  2020 Vol.21 No.5 P.723-739

http://doi.org/10.1631/FITEE.1900455


An untethered cable-driven ankle exoskeleton with plantarflexion-dorsiflexion bidirectional movement assistance


Author(s):  Tian-miao Wang, Xuan Pei, Tao-gang Hou, Yu-bo Fan, Xuan Yang, Hugh M. Herr, Xing-bang Yang

Affiliation(s):  School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China; more

Corresponding email(s):   hherr@media.mit.edu, xingbang@mit.edu

Key Words:  Ankle exoskeleton, Plantarflexion-dorsiflexion bidirectional assistance, Biological gait torque, Cable-driven, Gait detection


Tian-miao Wang, Xuan Pei, Tao-gang Hou, Yu-bo Fan, Xuan Yang, Hugh M. Herr, Xing-bang Yang. An untethered cable-driven ankle exoskeleton with plantarflexion-dorsiflexion bidirectional movement assistance[J]. Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering, 2020, 21(5): 723-739.

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Abstract: 
Lower-limb assisted exoskeletons are widely researched for movement assistance or rehabilitation training. Due to advantages of compliance with human body and lightweight, some cable-driven prototypes have been developed, but most of these can assist only unidirectional movement. In this paper we present an untethered cable-driven ankle exoskeleton that can achieve plantarflexion-dorsiflexion bidirectional motion bilaterally using a pair of single motors. The main weights of the exoskeleton, i.e., the motors, power supplement units, and control units, were placed close to the proximity of the human body, i.e., the waist, to reduce the redundant rotation inertia which would apply on the wearer’s leg. A cable force transmission system based on gear-pulley assemblies was designed to transfer the power from the motor to the end-effector effectively. A cable self-tension device on the power output unit was designed to tension the cable during walking. The gait detection system based on a foot pressure sensor and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) could identify the gait cycle and gait states efficiently. To validate the power output performance of the exoskeleton, a torque tracking experiment was conducted. When the subject was wearing the exoskeleton with power on, the muscle activity of the soleus was reduced by 5.2% compared to the state without wearing the exoskeleton. This preliminarily verifies the positive assistance effect of our exoskeleton. The study in this paper demonstrates the promising application of a lightweight cable-driven exoskeleton on human motion augmentation or rehabilitation.

可实现跖屈–背屈双向运动辅助的绳驱动踝关节外骨骼

王田苗1,裴轩1,侯涛刚1,2,樊瑜波3,5,杨轩1,Hugh M. HERR4,杨兴帮4
1北京航空航天大学机械工程及自动化学院,中国北京市,100083
2北京航空航天大学高等理工学院,中国北京市,100083
3北京航空航天大学生物与医学工程学院,中国北京市,100083
4麻省理工学院媒体实验室,美国马萨诸塞州,02139-4307
5北京航空航天大学北京生物医学工程高精尖创新中心,中国北京市,100083

摘要:下肢外骨骼辅助机器人广泛应用于运动辅助或康复训练。因绳驱动外骨骼具有良好人体顺应性且更加轻便,研究人员研发出一系列绳驱动样机辅助踝关节运动,但其中大多数只能辅助单向运动。本文提出一种可穿戴绳驱动踝关节外骨骼机器人,该外骨骼机器人使用一对单电机分别实现两侧踝关节跖屈-背屈双向运动辅助。该外骨骼主要重量(即电机、供能单元和控制单元)置于人体近端(即腰部)附近,以减少作用在穿戴者下肢的附加转动惯量。设计了基于齿轮-滑轮组件的绳索力传输系统,有效地将动力从电机端传递至末端执行器;设计了动力输出单元中的自张紧装置,用于实现穿戴者行走过程中绳索的张紧;设计了基于足底压力传感器和惯性测量单元(IMU)的步态检测系统,可有效识别步态周期和步行状态。为验证外骨骼动力输出性能,进行力矩跟踪实验。在受试者佩戴该外骨骼并提供主动辅助力情况下,比目鱼肌活动与未佩戴外骨骼状态相比降低5.2%,从而验证该外骨骼的力辅助作用。本文研究表明,该轻型绳驱动外骨骼机器人在人体运动增强或康复训练中具有潜在应用前景。

关键词:踝关节外骨骼;跖屈–背屈双向辅助;仿生步态力矩;绳驱动;步态探测

Darkslateblue:Affiliate; Royal Blue:Author; Turquoise:Article

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