Disclosed herein are systems and methods for assisting hip flexion and extension during human locomotion. A hip exosuit comprises a hip belt comprising one or more removably attached hip anchoring mechanisms, a leg brace, one or more flexion actuators, wherein each of the one or more flexion actuators is attached at a first end to a hip anchoring mechanism and each of the one or more flexion actuators is attached at a second end to the leg brace, and one or more extension actuators, wherein each of the one or more extension actuators is attached at a first end to a hip anchoring mechanism and is attached at a second end to the leg brace. Each of the actuators are configured to contract in response to one or more signal to aid in the gait of the user.

An ankle-less walking assistant apparatus includes: a body supporting the back of a wearer; left and right hip joint-drivers extending from both sides of the body; left and right thigh links having first ends connected to the left and right hip joint-drivers, respectively; left and right knee-drivers connected to second ends of the left and right thigh links, respectively; left and right calf links having first ends connected to the left and right knee-drivers, respectively; and ground-contact feet fixed to second ends of the left and right calf links, respectively.

An integrated functional electrical stimulation (FES) system includes a component of a mobility assistance device, and an FES system mounted within the component. The FES system includes an FES stimulator that is embedded within the component, and a plurality of FES jacks that are electrically connected to the FES stimulator and are located on the component. The FES jacks are configured to receive a plurality of FES electrodes, and an electrical stimulation output from the FES stimulator is conducted through the FES jacks to the FES electrodes. In a wireless embodiment, the FES stimulator is configured to wirelessly transmit a control signal for applying an electrical stimulation output to the plurality of FES electrodes, and the FES jacks are eliminated. The FES stimulator may be embedded within a back portion of the hip component of an exoskeleton device, and in the wired embodiment the FES jacks are located on wing portions of the hip component.

Lower-limb exoskeletons used to improve free-living mobility for individuals with neuromuscular impairment must be controlled to prescribe assistance that adapts to the diverse locomotor conditions encountered during daily life, including walking at different speeds and across varied terrain. This system employs an ankle exoskeleton control strategy that instantly and appropriately adjusts assistance to the changing biomechanical demand during variable walking. Specifically, this system utilizes a proportional joint-moment control strategy that prescribes assistance as a function of the instantaneous estimate of the ankle joint moment.

An enhanced actuator assembly, such as for use in driving a joint member of a wearable robotic device, is characterized by electrical isolation of the motor from the transmission system output. An actuator assembly includes a motor and a transmission system that provides a speed reduction of a motor speed to an output speed. The transmission system includes a non-conductive material layer that electrically isolates the motor from an output of the transmission system. The transmission system may be a two-stage transmission system. A first stage of speed reduction of the transmission system may include a first rotating member, such as a first helical gear, attached to the output shaft of the motor that transmits power to a second rotating member, such as a second helical gear. The second rotating member has a diameter larger than a diameter of the first rotating member to form the first stage of speed reduction, and the non-conductive material layer is part of the second rotating member.

An assist device includes a body mounting fixture, an actuator, an operation state detector, and a controller. The controller is configured to control drive of the actuator. The controller is configured to acquire an estimated posture of the wearer, which is estimated based on operation detection information detected by the operation state detector, when the actuator generates the assist torque. The controller is configured to determine whether or not the estimated posture is an unreasonable posture in which an excessive force is applied to a lower back portion.

A wearable device, includes a motor, a motor driver circuit, a memory, a sensor, and a processor. The memory is configured to store resistance force generation setting information indicating a difference between a reference angle and each joint angle and a corresponding relationship between respective duty ratios. The processor is configured to obtain, using the sensor, a joint angle of a user and calculate a difference between the reference angle and the obtained joint angle. The processor is configured to obtain a duty ratio corresponding to the calculated difference according to the resistance force generation setting information. The processor is further configured to provide a control signal having the obtained duty ratio to the motor driver circuit to perform control such that a control state of the motor driver circuit is switched between a first control state and a second control state.

A supporter for a wearable exercise apparatus may include a main body; a pair of main frames connected to the main body; a pair of straps connected to the pair of main frames, respectively; and a bistable spring which is provided inside each of the pair of the straps and maintained in one of two stable states by a restoring force. The two stable states include a first stable state in which the bistable spring has a shape extending straight along the longitudinal direction and a second stable state in which the bistable spring has a shape that is bent once. The shape of the strap may be determined according to the shape of the bistable spring.

A holder for a wearable device such as an exercise assistance device where the holder may include: a main rod; a sliding rod capable of sliding with respect to the main rod; a gripper including a gripper base, which is connected to the sliding rod and can support an exercise assistance device, a gripper head, which is connected to the upper side of the gripper base and can face the rear surface of the exercise assistance device, and a gripper arm rotatably connected to the gripper head; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the gripper, wherein the gripper base rotates with respect to the sliding rod and tilts forward if the exercise assistance device is put on the gripper base, and the control unit can move the gripper arm so that at least a portion of the gripper arm can cover the front surface of the exercise assistance device.

In one embodiment, the exoskeleton structure is fastened to the body of the user by a brace and at the foot level. The exoskeleton includes at least one set of three joints corresponding to the hip abduction/adduction, the hip flexion/extension and the knee flexion/extension, wherein the architecture of the exoskeleton is compatible with a set of different removable, adaptable and backdrivable actuation units dedicated to each joints and remotely located around the trunk of the user to decrease inertia and mass on the distal segments, wherein each joint can be modularily let free, constrained by a visco-elastic mechanism or actuated by one corresponding actuation unit.