Lower Limb Exoskeletons: A Brief Review

The elderly population in our society is increasing and hence societal issues related to ageing problems are also increasing. One of the key issues facing elderly persons relates to personal mobility which is essential for independence and good quality of life. With advances in technology, conventional methods like walkers, crutches and wheel chairs for providing mobility are being overtaken by wearable robots, commonly known as exoskeletons. This technology represents the future of mobility solutions for the elderly. Many research institutes and commercial undertakings are putting efforts to come up with a general purpose exoskeleton able to meet the needs but we are still far from having an effective and affordable solution developed to the masses. The paper presents a review of the exoskeletons produced to date describing their constructional and technological features and the remaining gaps in technology. Further, the paper discusses the challenges that need to be addressed and the future trends in the exoskeleton domain.