Modular Soft Exoskeleton Design and Control for Assisting Movements in Multiple Lower Limb Joint Configurations

作者：Bi Zhang, Weizhong Jiang, Xiaowei Tan, Juhua Su, Yi-Wen Zhao, Xin-Gang Zhao · 发表于：IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1109/tase.2025.3607351 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Computer Science

Soft lower limb exoskeletons have shown potential to enhance mobility in patients with motor disorders and improve their quality of life. This study introduces a novel modular soft lower-limb exoskeleton that provides assistance to a single hip joint or/and a single ankle joint, configurable on either the left or right side according to clinical needs. The control system employs adaptive gait phase recognition and a hierarchical strategy to accurately identify user intentions and track desired assistance profiles. An assistance profile optimization method is also designed based on the users’ muscle surface electromyography signals, aiming to further enhance the adaptability of robotic assistance to different users and tasks. Multi-subject experiments were conducted with 10 participants. The experimental results demonstrated that the exoskeleton exhibited good modular performance and effectively assisted walking under different configurations. Specifically, compared to natural walking, the exoskeleton assistance reduced the net metabolic rate by up to 15.29% while the hip and ankle joints are assisted simultaneously. Furthermore, the optimized assistance profiles achieved lower metabolic rates and reduced muscle activation compared to the generic assistance. Note to Practitioners—Lower-limb exoskeletons are becoming an essential tool for improving mobility in individuals with motor impairments, yet many existing systems lack the flexibility to adapt to varying user needs and m...