Importance of compliant joints in below-knee exoskeletons for improving walking

This paper evaluated an exoskeleton with compliant joints containing a toe joint. The ankle and toe joints were driven by two series elastic of actuators that can provide maximal push-off power. Firstly, the Human walking experiments were conducted for exploring the effects of the toe joint on providing power and keeping the gait balanced. Secondly, based on a theoretical model and computations, a compliant exoskeleton with a toe joint was designed for those whose ankle is not powerful enough for walking. Because of the impedance control, the exoskeleton was controlled to either follow or guide a person. Finally, an experiment with one person whose ankle could not provide enough power for supporting walking was conducted, and the results validated the effectiveness of the toe joint containing compliant actuators during walking.