Enhancing Human-Exoskeleton Interaction through Kinematic and Dynamic Analysis of Hip Exoskeleton Robots

Exoskeleton robots, as tangible designs within the computer-human interaction (CHI) field, hold significant potential for enhancing human performance in activities such as walking, running, and ascending or descending stairs. However, misalignments between the human body and the exoskeleton can lead to discomfort due to undesired torques and relative motion. This study seeks to improve human-exoskeleton interaction (HEI) by optimizing the mechanism design to ensure better alignment. The study begins with an analysis of the degrees of freedom in the hip exoskeleton robot (HER), followed by kinematic and dynamic simulations of HEI. Experimental results indicate that the designed HER achieves misalignment compensation (MC) displacements ranging from 0 to 18.075 mm. When compared to HER assistance without MC, the proposed design increases assistance efficiency by $\mathbf{4 2 \%}$, significantly enhancing wearing comfort. This work lays the groundwork for the integration of advanced sensing and intelligent control systems into exoskeleton mechanisms, paving the way for broader applications in rehabilitation and motion enhancement.