Developing a Mobile Lower Limb Robotic Exoskeleton for Gait Rehabilitation

A new compact mobile lower limb robotic exoskeleton (MLLRE) has been developed for gait rehabilitation for neurologically impaired patients. This robotic exoskeleton is composed of two exoskeletal orthoses, an active body weight support (BWS) system attached to a motorized mobile base, allowing over-ground walking. The exoskeletal orthosis is optimized to implement the extension and flexion of human hip and knee joints in the sagittal plane. The motor-driven BWS system can actively unload human body weight and track the vertical displacement of the center of mass (COM). This system is compact and easy for therapist to help patient with different weight (up to 100 kg) and height (150–190 cm). Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the robot with a healthy subject. The results show that MLLRE is a useful device for patient to achieve normal over-ground gait patterns.