Title
Effects of robotic knee exoskeleton on human energy expenditure.
Abstract
A number of studies discuss the design and control of various exoskeleton mechanisms, yet relatively few address the effect on the energy expenditure of the user. In this paper, we discuss the effect of a performance augmenting exoskeleton on the metabolic cost of an able-bodied user/pilot during periodic squatting. We investigated whether an exoskeleton device will significantly reduce the metabolic cost and what is the influence of the chosen device control strategy. By measuring oxygen consumption, minute ventilation, heart rate, blood oxygenation, and muscle EMG during 5-min squatting series, at one squat every 2 s, we show the effects of using a prototype robotic knee exoskeleton under three different noninvasive control approaches: gravity compensation approach, position-based approach, and a novel oscillator-based approach. The latter proposes a novel control that ensures synchronization of the device and the user. Statistically significant decrease in physiological responses can be observed when using the robotic knee exoskeleton under gravity compensation and oscillator-based control. On the other hand, the effects of position-based control were not significant in all parameters although all approaches significantly reduced the energy expenditure during squatting.
Year
DOI
Venue
2013
10.1109/TBME.2013.2240682
IEEE Trans. Biomed. Engineering
Keywords
Field
DocType
biomechanics,medical robotics,orthotics,able bodied exoskeleton pilot,able bodied exoskeleton user,blood oxygenation,device control strategy,exoskeleton mechanism control,exoskeleton mechanism design,gravity compensation approach,heart rate,human energy expenditure,metabolic cost,minute ventilation,muscle EMG,oscillator based approach,oxygen consumption,performance augmenting exoskeleton,periodic squatting,position based approach,prototype robotic knee exoskeleton,robotic knee exoskeleton effects,time 2 s,time 5 min,Adaptive control,exoskeletons,metabolic cost,oscillators,squatting
Torque,Squatting position,Computer science,Physical therapy,Electronic engineering,Artificial intelligence,Exoskeleton,Biomechanics,Robotics,Simulation,Exoskeleton Device,Orthotics,Squat
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
60
6
1558-2531
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
13
1.75
14
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Andrej Gams138529.54
Tadej Petric217820.60
Tadej Debevec3132.42
Jan Babic412819.25