The effect of control strategies for an active back-support exoskeleton on spine loading and kinematics during lifting

With mechanical loading as the main risk factor for LBP, exoskeletons (EXO)are designed to reduce the load on the back by taking over part of the moment normally generated by back muscles. The present study investigated the effect of an active exoskeleton, controlled using three different control modes (INCLINATION, EMG & HYBRID), on spinal...

Active back-support exo-skeletons: How assistive strategies determine effectiveness

The potential versatility of active exoskeletons is achieved by appropriately modulating their actuation forces. This is done by assistive strategies that interpret user’s movements and assistance needs during operation. This article shows how different strategies determine the effectiveness of an active back-support exoskeleton designed to...

Rationale, implementation and evaluation of assistive strategies for an active back-support exoskeleton

Active exoskeletons are potentially more effective and versatile than passive ones, but designing them poses a number of additional challenges. An important open challenge in the field is associated to the assistive strategy, by which the actuation forces are modulated to the user's needs during the physical activity. This paper addresses this...