Dynamics of the self-fitting modular orthosis

The mechanics of a soft external skeleton (orthosis) for the assistance of gait in paralyzed patients is described. This biomechanical model describes a biomechanism consisting of the active external orthosis and the handicapped human. The orthosis acts on the man´s skeleton via a viscoelastic interface. Variable-length orthotic links are introduced in the model to enable matching of orthotic joints to the human polycentric one. The practical realization of the proposed soft brace is known as the self-fitting modular orthosis (SFMO). Bipedal and quadrupedal gait analyses of the SFMO are presented