Abstract
This paper introduces a fundamental framework for paraplegia walking support via a wearable lower extremity exoskeleton robot. We propose a walking trajectory generation and a Virtual Admittance Control. Walking trajectory generation creates smooth and continuous time-varying trajectory via polynomial interpolation to calculate referential joint angles. Virtual Admittance control provides the characteristics of a virtual spring and damper in each joint, in a way to handle external forces acting on the exoskeleton throughout the entire walking period. In order to compare the proposed control scheme with a conventional position control scheme, we conducted bipedal walking experiments on 4 able-bodied subjects. As a result, we obtain relatively viable walking performance, in which less upper body effort is required to counterbalance.
