Biomechanical Study of Passive and Active Exoskeletons for Analyzing the Dependent Parameters for an Intelligent Control System

In recent years, various exoskeletons have been developed to support specific movements and body regions. Exoskeletons are normally designed taking into account particular use cases and developed to support a certain body region and movement. While conducting a biomechanical study with different exoskeletons, it was realized that certain parameters could be efficiently used to control an exoskeleton. The present biomechanical study analyses the dependent parameters of exoskeletons, which inform the potential merits of integrating an intelligent control system. In the study, five test subjects were required to perform three distinct tasks, which were inspired by real-world scenarios, using a passive, active, and exoskeleton-free approach. The data was collected using electromyography sensors, a force plate and motion capture as well as using questionnaires. Firstly, it was demonstrated that active exoskeletons have a stabilizing effect on their wearers. Secondly, it was shown that these exoskeletons are fundamentally suitable for supporting their users in specific tasks. Nevertheless, the evidence also indicated that the incorporation of intelligent systems into exoskeletons can be particularly beneficial for predicting movement. This leads to the conclusion that active exoskeletons have a distinctive potential that can be harnessed through the integration of intelligent control systems.