Designing the mechanical frame of an active exoskeleton for gait assistance

Recent studies predict that by 2060, people aged 65 or more will account to one third of the European population. These statistics raise questions regarding the sustainability of the society, so technological solutions have been emerging to prolong the active age of European citizens. One of the main impairments for elders to have an active life is an increasing difficulty in performing a natural gait. Some exoskeletons were identified with elder gait assistance as one of several features. However, to cover other features, these exoskeletons are generally large and bulky. Wearing a very visible device may cause an unwanted awkwardness. For this reason, the authors are developing an active exoskeleton whose sole purpose is to assist the gait of an elderly person. The proposed system is based on a low-profile design, allowing a smaller frame that permits the device to be worn beneath loose clothing, making it more desirable to wear in public by reducing social awkwardness. The framework for designing the mechanical support for the exoskeleton is presented. Three-dimensional human models were imported into Solidworks, developing the components assembled around the human models and performing finite element analysis simulations to test the system with subject of different weights. The design can adapt to several body shapes using variable distances between components. The exoskeleton frame supports 7 degrees of freedom for each lower limb.