Development of a Lower-limb Gait Training Exoskeleton

The goal of this work is to design and develop a pneumatic artificial muscle-inspired gait training exoskeleton for stroke recovery. According to the process of poststroke rehabilitation, the golden period is within six months after damage to obtain maximum brain recovery. Using the exoskeleton and body-weight support (BWS) system is proposed to provide prompt recovery and retain stroke patients to walk again. The device relies on a pulley system in which a fluid-driven origami-inspired artificial muscle and a pull-spring are antagonistically arranged. The angle and the torque of the joint are directly proportional to the vacuum pressure of the actuator. To test the performance of the actuator, a gauge pressure difference ranging between -10 kPa and -60 kPa was applied. The actuator was able to produce an average maximum force output of approximately 14.77 kg at -60 kPa. In addition, the right knee joint prototype of the suit, controlling the movement of the right shank during the swing phase, was created and tested. From the results, the effectiveness of both the transmission system and the control system was confirmed.