Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Resonant walking with preferred gait features is a self-optimized consequence of long-term human locomotion. Minimal energy expenditure can be achieved in this resonant condition. This unpowered multi-joint soft exoskeleton is designed to test whether: (1) there is an obvious improvement in preferred speed and other gait features; (2) resonant walking still exists with exoskeleton assistance. Healthy participants (N = 7) were asked to perform the following trials: (1) walking at 1.25 m/s without assistance (normal condition); (2) walking at 1.25 m/s with assistance (general condition); (3) walking at preferred speed with assistance (preferred condition); (4) walking at the speed in trial (3) without assistance (comparison condition). Participants walked at the preferred frequency and ±10% of it. An average 21% increase in preferred speed was observed. The U-shaped oxygen consumption and lower limb muscle activity curve with the minimum at preferred frequency indicated that the resonant condition existed under the preferred condition. Average metabolic reductions of 4.53% and 7.65% were found in the preferred condition compared to the general and comparison condition, respectively. These results demonstrate that the resonant condition in assisted walking could benefit energy expenditure and provide a new perspective for exoskeleton design and evaluation.
Source: Machines
Authors: Zhengyan Zhang, Houcheng Wang, Shijie Guo, Jing Wang, Yungang Zhao, Qiang Tian
Institutions: Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin University of Sport
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,885
OpenAlex ID: W4285729758