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Personalizing exoskeleton assistance while walking in the real world

Engineering and Technology

Personalizing exoskeleton assistance while walking in the real world

P. Slade, M. J. Kochenderfer, et al.

This study showcases rapid exoskeleton optimization in real-world settings, achieving remarkable improvements in walking speed and energy efficiency. Conducted by Patrick Slade, Mykel J. Kochenderfer, Scott L. Delp, and Steven H. Collins, it highlights the effectiveness of portable ankle exoskeletons using wearable sensors, outperforming traditional lab methods significantly.

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~3 min • Beginner • English
Abstract
Personalized exoskeleton assistance provides users with the largest improvements in walking speed and energy economy⁴⁻⁶ but requires lengthy tests under unnatural laboratory conditions. Here we show that exoskeleton optimization can be performed rapidly and under real-world conditions. We designed a portable ankle exoskeleton based on insights from tests with a versatile laboratory testbed. We developed a data-driven method for optimizing exoskeleton assistance outdoors using wearable sensors and found that it was equally effective as laboratory methods, but identified optimal parameters four times faster. We performed real-world optimization using data collected during many short bouts of walking at varying speeds. Assistance optimized during one hour of naturalistic walking in a public setting increased self-selected speed by 9 ± 4% and reduced the energy used to travel a given distance by 17 ± 5% compared with normal shoes. This assistance reduced metabolic energy consumption by 23 ± 8% when participants walked on a treadmill at a standard speed of 1.5 m s⁻¹. Human movements encode information that can be used to personalize assistive devices and enhance performance.
Publisher
Nature
Published On
Oct 12, 2022
Authors
Patrick Slade, Mykel J. Kochenderfer, Scott L. Delp, Steven H. Collins
Tags
exoskeleton optimization
wearable sensors
energy consumption
walking speed
real-world testing
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