Abstract
An important open challenge in robotic assistive exoskeletons is how to control them to maximize their physical benefits on users. We addressed this challenge on a back support exoskeleton in a preliminary user study, which evaluated three possible assistive strategies on a lifting task. One strategy modulated the assistance on the posture of the torso. The two additional direct strategies assisted proportionally to forearm electromyography and grip pressure on the fingertip, respectively.
The experiments highlighted that the direct strategies modulate assistance more appropriately than the posture-based one. Additionally, the associated acquisition devices were not considered obtrusive for the lifting task. The insights from this exploratory study will guide further development of the control interface to operate the robotic back support.
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Notes
- 1.
A comprehensive list of exoskeletons available to date can be found on http://exoskeletonreport.com/product-category/exoskeleton-catalog/industrial/.
- 2.
To simplify the description, the weight of the empty box was neglected.
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Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank Jorge Fernández for his invaluable contribution to the mechanical design of the prototypes.
The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement Robo-Mate n\(^\circ \) 608979, and from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007–2013/ for research, technological development and demonstration under REA grant agreement SMART-E n\(^\circ \) 608022.
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Toxiri, S., Ortiz, J., Caldwell, D.G. (2018). Assistive Strategies for a Back Support Exoskeleton: Experimental Evaluation. In: Ferraresi, C., Quaglia, G. (eds) Advances in Service and Industrial Robotics. RAAD 2017. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 49. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61276-8_85
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61276-8_85
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