Development of an active powered biped lower limb exoskeleton

A novel working biped exoskeleton prototype has been developed for the purpose of advancing research in rehabilitative devices utilizing pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs). The modular system incorporates novel features, including an actuator layout that bends the PAMs around a radius and transfers force through Bowden cables, allowing for a compact design that did not protrude from the user. 3D printed ABS plastic components were extensively incorporated into the design. These components are simple and cheap to manufacture and allow for the design of low weight parts with complex geometries. This proves to be advantageous as the shape of the human body is inherently complex. Sensors and electronics are incorporated into the design to allow for future work of developing an adaptive control scheme for the exoskeleton using sensor feedback.