An Anthropometrically Parameterized Assistive Lower Limb Exoskeleton.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Robotics
• Pediatric Assistive Technology

Background:

• Lower limb exoskeletons offer potential for mobility assistance.
• Customization is crucial for effective pediatric exoskeleton design.
• Existing methods often lack personalization for children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an innovative design methodology for pediatric lower limb exoskeletons.
• To fabricate and experimentally evaluate a prototype exoskeleton.
• To assess the feasibility of a person-specific custom fit using additive manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Developed a design methodology using subject-specific anthropometrics.
• Utilized additive manufacturing for prototype fabrication.
• Quantified user effort and muscle activation during treadmill walking (assisted vs. unassisted vs. baseline).

Main Results:

• Successfully created custom computer-aided design models for children.
• Fabricated a functional prototype actuating hip and knee joints.
• Observed increased joint torques and hip positive mechanical energy, but mixed results in knee mechanics and muscle activations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed design methodology is effective for creating personalized pediatric exoskeletons.
• Preliminary walking assistance evaluation yielded inconclusive results, warranting further investigation.
• The study validates the design approach through successful prototype fabrication and CAD modeling.