A novel actuator with reconfigurable stiffness for a knee exoskeleton: Design and modeling

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a new inherently compliant actuator intended for the development of a knee exoskeleton. The proposed actuator has the ability to reconfigure the level of stiffness in order to achieve suitable torque-to-angular displacement profiles for different human tasks and users. The design specifications of the actuator have been obtained from motion capture and simulation data of sit-stand-sit motion cycle. The actuator functional principle and modeling are presented. Finally the mechatronic design of the actuator is described. © Springer-Verlag 2012.