Bio-Inspired Designs to Reduce Human-Exoskeleton Interaction to Prevent Falls in an Aging Population (open access)

Bio-Inspired Designs to Reduce Human-Exoskeleton Interaction to Prevent Falls in an Aging Population

As a large generation ages, the collective financial and ethical responsibility to prevent egregious bodily harm through fall prevention and gait assistant exoskeleton devices increases. Risk for falls increases with age and the severity of the fall does as well. To support this elderly population, motorized exoskeletons can both increase stability as well as respond faster to fall scenarios, but current models do not more around the existing biological framework. Giving participants a range of motion in key pelvic areas can closely approximate synchronous rotation around the femoral head, while limiting an increase in their sagittal profile. Utilizing 3D printed components while incorporating existing orthic methods provide short production times on modular designs. Although primarily mechanically based, these designs consider electronic requirements and are capable for supporting movement for a 200 lbs. user at a brisk walking pace for 1 hour.
Date: August 2021
Creator: Gates, Edward Sean
System: The UNT Digital Library