MORE | Spring 2018

Evaluation of a Soft-Robotic Knee Exosuit for Stair ascent

This research evaluates a soft robotic exosuit worn around the knee joint to assist in ascending stairs for post-stroke and ACL reconstruction rehabilitation. The project goal is to compensate for the lack of muscular force at the joint and support the user’s limb to minimize loading on the affected limb. A healthy individual’s quadriceps-hamstring muscles were recorded using sEMG sensors. Preliminary testing shows reduced muscle activity in the stance phase and unrestrained motion during the swing phase, thus demonstrating the project’s applicability. It is recommended that future work use an advanced control system to assist in ascending and descending stairs.