Objective: Semi-active exoskeletons combining lightweight, low powered actuators and passive-elastic elements are a promising approach to portable robotic assistance during locomotion. Here, we introduce a novel semi-active hip exoskeleton concept and evaluate human walking performance across a range of parameters using a tethered robotic testbed.
Methods: We emulated semi-active hip exoskeleton (exo) assistance by applying a virtual torsional spring with a fixed rotational stiffness and an equilibrium angle established in terminal swing phase (i.e., via pre-tension into stance). We performed a 2-D sweep of spring stiffness x equilibrium position parameters (30 combinations) across walking speed (1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 m/s) and measured metabolic rate to identify device parameters for optimal metabolic benefit.
Results: At each speed, optimal exoskeleton spring settings provided a ∼10% metabolic benefit compared to zero-impedance (ZI). Higher walking speeds required higher exoskeleton stiffness and lower equilibrium angle for maximal metabolic benefit. Optimal parameters tuned to each individual (user-dependent) provided significantly larger metabolic benefit than the average-best settings (user-independent) at all speeds except the fastest (p = 0.021, p = 0.001, and p = 0.098 at 1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 m/s, respectively). We found significant correlation between changes in user's muscle activity and changes in metabolic rate due to exoskeleton assistance, especially for muscles crossing the hip joint.
Conclusion: A semi-active hip exoskeleton with spring-parameters personalized to each user could provide metabolic benefit across functional walking speeds. Minimizing muscle activity local to the exoskeleton is a promising approach for tuning assistance on-line on a user-dependent basis.