Abstract
Active exoskeletons are driven by controllers that execute commands that respond to a user’s intent. It is unclear how precise these systems need to be to assist humans efficiently and reduce the risk of injury. This study evaluated participants’ stride length during powered ankle exoskeleton walking while controlling the quasi-stiffness coefficient, the relationship between exoskeleton ankle torque and ankle angle. Compared with the reference quasi-stiffness value, 31% of participants showed a statistically significant increase in normalized stride length (NSL) at high and low quasi-stiffness coefficients. In comparison, 50% showed a statistically significant decrease in NSL. Only 19% showed a statistically significant increase at either low or high quasi-stiffness coefficients. The results suggest that it is essential to consider individual responses, as different stride lengths emerged from changes in quasi-stiffness across participants. This knowledge is important for improving user experience and performance and ensuring the system is used efficiently.
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