Design-Modeling and Control of a Novel Wearable Exoskeleton for Lower-Limb Enhancement

In this letter, a novel powered lower limb exoskeleton prototype called PTEXO for reducing user burden and enhancing following comfort is presented. The PTEXO is designed with a new control strategy, Enhanced Sensitivity Amplification Control (ESAC), and improves comfort of lower-limb locomotion through three aspects, namely, obtaining high-quality angular acceleration signals, adjusting sensitivities among different model items, and increasing continuity during gait phase transitions. This opens a new option in terms of algorithms for improving the comfort of wearable robotic exoskeletons. In the letter, the mechatronic structure of PTEXO is designed for ESAC, with which dynamic models are established. Finally, wearable experiments validate the proper functioning of the integrated technique, demonstrating the effectiveness of the ESAC strategy in improving PTEXO smoothness. A user survey is included to illustrate the ESAC can effectively and comfortably assists users with lower limb locomotion.