Robotic Exoskeleton Design and Control

Robotic Hip Exoskeleton

We want to develop autonomous robotic hip exoskeletons to assist individuals with limited locomotor function, particularly stroke survivors and older adults who experience distal joint coordination deficits and compensate by relying heavily on proximal hip musculature. In human gait, the hip often serves as the primary mechanical power generator in such cases, but it is inherently less efficient than the ankle, which benefits from tendon-based elastic energy storage. This inefficiency can increase metabolic cost and reduce walking endurance, making targeted hip assistance crucial.

By integrating advanced sensing systems, high-performance actuators, and intelligent control strategies, our robot can dynamically respond to user intent and adapt across diverse locomotor tasks. Engineered for both wearability and comfort, the hip exoskeleton accommodates a wide range of body sizes and conditions, ensuring applicability in both clinical rehabilitation and daily mobility. Beyond hardware innovation, this project advances the scientific understanding of hip biomechanics in impaired populations, driving the development of personalized control algorithms and modular designs that can integrate with other exoskeletons for comprehensive lower-limb assistance.

Team Members

• Maria Tagliaferri

• Jimin An

• Changseob Song

• Nate Shoemaker-Trejo

Robotic Knee Exoskeleton

Our goal is to design, develop, and evaluate a state-of-the-art autonomous robotic knee exoskeleton to assist individuals with impaired gait patterns, such as children with cerebral palsy who may present with crouch gait or genu recurvatum (knee hyperextension). By leveraging advanced control strategies, such as task-generalizable control, state estimation, and other adaptive machine learning-based frameworks, the exoskeleton can intelligently adapt to different users and dynamically respond to changes across movement phases.

To ensure versatility, the system is built on a plug-and-play architecture, enabling seamless integration with hip exoskeletons for comprehensive lower-limb mobility support. Beyond hardware and software innovation, this project advances the scientific understanding of human locomotion, driving the development of intelligent control algorithms and adjustable hardware that can be personalized for users of diverse ages, health conditions, and body proportions.

Team Members

• Rajiv Joshi

• Yunliang (Amy) Zhao