MOMENTUM • VIRGINIA TECH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 21 for projects such as an enhanced lifting support exosuit in partnership with Lowe ’ s home improvement stores .
For the CAREER award , Asbeck is developing a new approach for exoskeletons to aid walking . Typically , lower-body exoskeletons consist of rigid structures strapped to the legs , with an actuator creating torques at each joint . Exoskeletons need to produce the correct force to always complement motion or else they will hinder instead of helping movement . In the worst case , incorrect or unanticipated exoskeleton behavior could cause the wearer to stumble or fall .
Asbeck ’ s project will depart from the traditional approach of strapping structures to a subject ’ s legs , choosing instead to create a structure that allows a user ’ s legs to remain mostly free . Asbeck ’ s exoskeleton will push upward between a person ’ s feet and waist , leaving the individual joints in the leg unconstrained so they can function normally . With this architecture , the exoskeleton only needs to produce forces similar to those between the feet and the ground -- a much simpler problem than determining the best torque for each individual joint . As an additional measure of simplicity , the device will do this with only a single motor on each leg .
“ This new exoskeleton architecture holds promise for helping people walk who would have difficulty doing so otherwise , or enabling people to walk with greater endurance ,” said Asbeck . “ It is a lot simpler than most exoskeletons and will allow people to move naturally , paving the way for new applications and widespread use .”
Asbeck ’ s team will conduct a variety of experiments with the exoskeleton to understand how people walk , how people adapt to exoskeletal forces , and how to reduce the likelihood of falls during walking . The team will use the exoskeleton ’ s built-in sensors to detect the user ’ s movement , adapt the exoskeleton forces to provide the best assistance , and measure the user ’ s response . The experiments will map the dynamics of balance and movement that occur during walking , including factors such as changes in gait when ascending and descending hills . Understanding how the body responds to forces at its center will lead to general principles for how lower-body exoskeletons affect the body ’ s stability and future motion . This in turn will allow the team to determine how to decrease the likelihood of a fall .
“ I ’ m really hopeful that through this project , we can learn how to make exoskeletons that work well in all situations and for people with all different amounts of mobility ,” said Asbeck .
In addition to conducting research and building a new exoskeleton , the team will initiate educational outreach , including maintaining public video channels to discuss exoskeletons and robotics , and engaging pre-college students with workshops on biomechanics and exoskeleton control in collaboration with the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity .