title: Design of a minimally constraining, passively supported gait training exoskeleton: ALEX II.
abstract: This paper discusses the design of a new, minimally constraining, passively supported gait training exoskeleton known as ALEX II. This device builds on the success and extends the features of the ALEX I device developed at the University of Delaware. Both ALEX (Active Leg EXoskeleton) devices have been designed to supply a controllable torque to a subject's hip and knee joint. The current control strategy makes use of an assist-as-needed algorithm. Following a brief review of previous work motivating this redesign, we discuss the key mechanical features of the new ALEX device. A short investigation was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the control strategy and impact of the exoskeleton on the gait of six healthy subjects. This paper concludes with a comparison between the subjects' gait both in and out of the exoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA. winfree@udel.edu
authors.forename: Kyle N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Winfree
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stegall
authors.forename: Sunil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*