Exo-supportive device for individuals with restricted mobility

The main goal of this work is to design and build an economical and efficient mobility-device that is external to the user and is able to improve motor performance by supporting task-specific movement. Increasing numbers of people of all ages are affected by injuries that result in restricted movement. These people are victims of car or other accidents, children with congenital pathologies and others suffering from traumas caused by lifting and carrying heavy loads in various work places. All these situations require a simple and cost-effective solution. There are few existing technologies that allow people to recover from or, potentially, to prevent these serious injuries. The few that do exist at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 or higher are prohibitively expensive (US$100k-150k). The developed prototype design has four main benefits when compared to similar existing devices. One is the improvement of the gait-cycle allowing the wearer to perform more natural movements. The new design also has more flexible joints to give the wearer more comfort while performing complex movements. The integrated micro-controller and sensors allow the device to operate safely without reacting to unintentional motions (coughing, sneezing and shivering). Another benefit is the scalability of the device: it is adaptable to the unique physiology of any person. The prototype currently has limited operation endurance, in the order of 30 minutes with a single battery and without recharging the energy source. Current research is aimed at designing a more effective energy system to extend operation endurance.