Design and Control of a Lower Limb Exoskeleton for Robot-Assisted Gait Training. Issue 2 (22nd July 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Beyl, Pieter; Van Damme, Michaël; Van Ham, Ronald; Vanderborght, Bram; Lefeber, Dirk
• Is Part Of: Applied bionics and biomechanics. Volume 6:Issue 2(2009)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 243
• Publication Date: 2009-07-22
• Subjects: robot-assisted gait rehabilitation -- powered exoskeleton -- compliant actuator -- proxy-based sliding mode control; Bionics -- Periodicals; Biomechanics -- Periodicals; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; 003.505
• DOI: 10.1080/11762320902784393
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1176-2322

Abstract

Abstract : Robot-assisted rehabilitation of gait still faces many challenges, one of which is improving physical human-robot interaction. The use of pleated pneumatic artificial muscles to power a step rehabilitation robot has the potential to meet this challenge. This paper reports on the development of a gait rehabilitation exoskeleton with a knee joint powered by pleated pneumatic artificial muscles. It is intended as a platform for the evaluation of design and control concepts in view of improved physical human-robot interaction. The design was focused on the optimal dimensioning of the actuator configuration. Safety being the most important prerequisite, a proxy-based sliding mode controller (PSMC) was implemented as it combines accurate tracking during normal operation with a smooth, slow and safe recovery from large position errors. Treadmill walking experiments of a healthy subject wearing the powered exoskeleton show the potential of PSMC as a safe robot-in-charge control strategy for robot-assisted gait training.