Rapid Prototyping of a Lower-Body Exoskeleton for Paraplegia Patients

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, powered exoskeletons have been used in military and industrial environments to increase the strength, stability, and overall safety of the user. Due to fast and notable improvements shown in the field of robotics and medicine in recent years, various medical exoskeletons have been developed, to aid paraplegia patients regain a certain degree of their lower body’s motor function. However, many of the models available on the market currently still present certain limitations and design issues, mainly due to the complexity of the human body’s construction and the user size variations. This paper aims to design a medical exoskeleton variant to solve some of the limitations and design issues still present in medical exoskeletons sold on the market today, and to optimize the price to quality ratio to the maximum degree possible, making this device a viable option even for people from disadvantaged countries.