Analysis of Operator's Energy Savings with Wrong Estimation in Intent in an Exoskeleton System

Date of Award

2018

Degree Name

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Renewable and Clean Energy

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Timothy Reissman

Abstract

Exoskeleton is designed to help the operator move. An exoskeleton assists the operator with movement by changing the resultant torque about the operator's joints. To maintain high working efficiency, the exoskeleton is supposed to estimate the operator's intent of moving and produce torque of proper amount. Since the operator's intent is involved, considering there has not been an accurate and reliable way of determining a person's intent of moving, assuming the exoskeleton doesn't update its estimation towards the operator's intent within 20 durations, we analyzed the effectiveness of an ankle exoskeleton by running simulations and computing the energy savings for the operator when the exoskeleton made wrong estimation towards the operator's intent of moving. Based on the simulations, we reached a conclusion that, for intent estimation, the error in frequency and the error in phase have higher impact than other variables (interactions of variables) on the effectiveness of an exoskeleton.

Keywords

Mechanical Engineering, exoskeleton, effectiveness, intent, energy, open loop control

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2018, author

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