Agora

Engineering

Exoskeleton

Computer security

Transparency (behavior)

Computer science

Mechanical engineering

Gait

Thermodynamics

Physics

Torque

Simulation

Work (physics)

Medicine

Programming language

Physical medicine and rehabilitation

Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems

Exoskeletons aim to provide required torques in a patient’s lower limbs generating anatomical patterns. In this sense, this work presents an AGoRA lower limb exoskeleton aimed at rehabilitating patients who suffer hemiparesis. Two control strategies for physical Human-Robot Interaction are tested in a pilot study with a healthy user. On the one hand, the assistance mode uses a gait phase detection to generate a desired gait cycle in the paretic limb. On the other hand, the transparency mode is presented to simulate a back-drivable device using a mass-damper system. As a result, in the assistance mode, torques in the range of (20 - 30 Nm) for the knee and hip joints were generated to complete the user’s gait cycle. Moreover, the user can execute unrestricted movements using the AGoRA exoskeleton in the transparency mode.

Human-in-the-Loop Control for AGoRA Unilateral Lower-Limb Exoskeleton