A Soft Robotic Exosuit For Knee Extension Using Hyper-Bending Actuators

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel soft robotic exosuit with hyper-bending actuators designed to assist knee extension, demonstrating potential for improving mobility in individuals with movement disorders.

Contribution

Introduces a new design framework for a soft exosuit using fabric-based hyper-bending actuators with integrated 3D-printed end caps for effective knee assistance.

Findings

Effective force generation during sit-to-stand transitions

Innovative multi-material textile sleeve design

Potential for continuous daily support in movement disorders

Abstract

Movement disorders impact muscle strength and mobility, and despite therapeutic efforts, many people with movement disorders have challenges functioning independently. Soft wearable robots, or exosuits, offer a promising solution for continuous daily support, however, commercially viable devices are not widely available. Here, we introduce a design framework for lower limb exosuits centered on a soft pneumatically driven fabric-based actuator. Our design consists of a novel multi-material textile sleeve that incorporates braided mesh and knit-elastic materials to realize hyper-bending actuators. The actuators incorporate 3D-printed self-sealing end caps that are attached to a semi-rigid human-robot interface to secure them to the body. We will demonstrate the effectiveness of our exosuit in generating enough force to assist during sit-to-stand transitions.