Design of a gravity balanced lower limb exoskeleton

• Main Author: Foo, Derek Shi Wei
• Other Authors: Low Kin Huat
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/72142
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The goal of this project is to design and build a prototype of a gravity balanced lower limb exoskeleton to aid the user with walking difficulties with the use of springs. A good exoskeleton design can effectively remove the gravitational torque and weight of the leg that the user experiences. This will allow the user with weak muscles to find it easier to lift his/her leg. This project consists of a research phase in which similar systems have been examined to aid in determining a reasonable and sensible design approach and to establish appropriate design specifications. The two main phases are a design phase in which the prototype was design to meet the design requirements and a construction phase in which the prototype was assembled and tested. This report contains: -An overview of the objective, scope and problem statement of the project -An overview of the various studies related to the development of gravity balanced lower limb exoskeletons -A list of calculations used to determine the specifications of the exoskeleton -A detailed description of the prototype and explanation of the selection of the different components used in the product -Report on the performance of the prototype -Recommendations for future improvements to the product past the prototype phase.