Design and Performance of the New Ankle Joint Exoskeleton

Abstract

—As one of the most injured joints of the human body, the ankle is often prone to sprains or fractures that require help in movement to restore mobility. While physical therapists typically perform rehabilitation in one-on-one sessions with patients, several successful robotic rehabilitation solutions have been proposed in recent years. However, their design is usually bulky and requires the patient to sit or stand in a static position. This paper presents devotes to a new design of a device as an exoskeleton for the ankle joint that promotes movement of a person with disability. The proposed design is characterized by a lightweight and inexpensive design for various users with easy-to-wear functions and simple operation. The exoskeleton is supported by four linear electric actuators to enable ankle movements in three directions. A CAD model is developed for proposed design parts and simulations, the results of which provide data on the feasibility of the design and its main performance characteristics. 3D modeling and simulation calculations were performed in a virtual environment using Solidworks Simulation software and motion simulation. Solidworks Simulation provides an electric linear actuator that generates ankle movement. The proposed design of the mechanism using kinematic and static models is analyzed, a scheme of the control structure is developed.