EXOSKELETON

The exoskeleton robot, serving as an assistive device, is worn by the human (orthotic) and functions as a human-amplifier. Its joints and links correspond to those of the human body, and its actuators share a portion of the external load with the operator.

Integrating human and robot into a single system offers remarkable opportunities for creating a new generation of assistive technology for both healthy and disabled people. Humans possess naturally developed algorithms for control of movement, but they are limited by their muscle strength. In addition, muscle weakness is the primary cause of disability for most people with neuromuscular diseases and injuries to the central nervous system. In contrast, robotic manipulators can perform tasks requiring large forces; however, their artificial control algorithms do not provide the flexibility to perform in a wide range of fuzzy conditions while preserving the same quality of performance as humans. It seems therefore that combining these two entities, the human and the robot, into one integrated system under the control of the human, may lead to a solution that will benefit from the advantages offered by each subsystem.