Sarajchi, Mohammadhadi, Sirlantzis, Konstantinos (2023) Design and Control of a Single-Leg Exoskeleton with Gravity Compensation for Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy. Sensors, 23 (13). pp. 1-35. ISSN 1424-8220. (doi:10.3390/s23136103) (KAR id:101956)
PDF
Publisher pdf
Language: English
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
|
|
Download this file (PDF/6MB) |
Preview |
Request a format suitable for use with assistive technology e.g. a screenreader | |
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/s23136103 |
Abstract
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience reduced quality of life due to limited mobility and independence. Recent studies have shown that lower-limb exoskeletons (LLEs) have significant potential to improve the walking ability of children with CP. However, the number of prototyped LLEs for children with CP is very limited, while no single-leg exoskeleton (SLE) has been developed specifically for children with CP. This study aims to fill this gap by designing the first size-adjustable SLE for children with CP aged 8 to 12, covering Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to IV. The exoskeleton incorporates three active joints at the hip, knee, and ankle, actuated by brushless DC motors and harmonic drive gears. Individuals with CP have higher metabolic consumption than their typically developed (TD) peers, with gravity being a significant contributing factor. To address this, the study designed a model-based gravity-compensator impedance controller for the SLE. A dynamic model of user and exoskeleton interaction based on the Euler–Lagrange formulation and following Denavit–Hartenberg rules was derived and validated in Simscape™ and Simulink® with remarkable precision. Additionally, a novel systematic simplification method was developed to facilitate dynamic modelling. The simulation results demonstrate that the controlled SLE can improve the walking functionality of children with CP, enabling them to follow predefined target trajectories with high accuracy.
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
DOI/Identification number: | 10.3390/s23136103 |
Uncontrolled keywords: | assistive robot; cerebral palsy; dynamic systems and control; gravity compensator; impedance control; kinematic analysis; lower-limb exoskeleton; unilateral exoskeleton; wearable robot |
Subjects: | T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery > Control engineering |
Divisions: | Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Engineering and Digital Arts |
Depositing User: | Mohammadhadi Sarajchi |
Date Deposited: | 05 Jul 2023 23:54 UTC |
Last Modified: | 13 Jan 2024 03:28 UTC |
Resource URI: | https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/101956 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) |
- Link to SensusAccess
- Export to:
- RefWorks
- EPrints3 XML
- BibTeX
- CSV
- Depositors only (login required):