Design and control validation of a robotic knee exoskeleton

The target goal of the knee exoskeleton project is to design, develop, and evaluate a state of the art untethered powered exoskeleton device to assist patient population with impaired gait patterns. The device is tailored for stroke survivors, individuals with Parkinson’s disease, and older individuals experiencing reduced joint stability and muscle activation. Through leveraging Model Predictive Control (MPC), State Estimation, and various other control frameworks, we target intelligent software control that is adaptable between users and varies with identified gait pattern phases. With this vision for seamless adaptability, the exoskeleton is being designed with a plug-and-play framework, enabling future integration with hip and ankle exoskeleton systems for enhanced mobility support. Beyond hardware and software innovation, our research aims to deepen the understanding of human locomotion, driving the development of intelligent control algorithms and adjustable hardware that cater to users of diverse ages, conditions, and body proportions.

Team Members:

Rajiv Joshi 

Yunliang Zhao 

Meryl Meyerson