Energy-Efficient Actuation for Wearable Exoskeletons: A Virtual Prototype

This study investigates the power consumption of an assistive wearable exoskeleton actuation system using a virtual experimental framework. Different actuation system variants, including rigid, series elastic, and parallel elastic actuation in both single and dual configurations, were analyzed and compared with a mathematical model. The results demonstrated a strong correlation between the virtual and mathematical models, with only minor variations in power consumption across certain transmission system combinations. The study further found that combining harmonic drives with a belt and pulley mechanism resulted in reduced energy usage. Among the configurations analyzed, the dual variable parallel elastic actuation (VPEA) system, featuring harmonic drives at the hip and knee joints and ball screws at the ankle, proved to be the most energy-efficient setup. These findings validate the accuracy of the mathematical model and offer valuable guidelines for optimizing exoskeleton actuation systems to enhance their efficiency and performance.