An Unpowered Knee Exoskeleton for Walking Assistance and Energy Capture

Abstract

In order to reduce the energy consumption of human daily movement without providing additional power, we considered the biomechanical behavior of the knee during external impedance interactions. Based on the theory of human sports biomechanics, combined with the requirements of human–machine coupling motion consistency and coordination, an unpowered exoskeleton-assisted device for the knee joint is proposed in this paper. The effectiveness of this assisted device was verified using gait experiments and distributed plantar pressure tests with three modes: “not wearing exoskeleton” (No exo.), “wearing exoskeleton with assistance “ (Exo. On), and “wearing exoskeleton without assistance” (Exo. Off). The experimental results indicate that (1) This device can effectively enhance the function of the knee, increasing the range of knee movement by 3.72% (p < 0.001). (2) In the early stages of the lower limb swing, this device reduces the activity of muscles in relation to the knee flexion, such as the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and soleus muscles. (3) For the first time, it was found that the movement length of the plantar pressure center was reduced by 6.57% (p = 0.027). This basic principle can be applied to assist the in-depth development of wearable devices.