Rehabilitation Exoskeleton Research Articles

SEMG data driven-based anti-disturbance control enables adaptive interaction of lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton

The efficient human–machine interaction control is the core of human–machine integration, which can improve the tracking accuracy of the lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton system and the compliance of human–machine cooperative movement. However, the non-ideal factors such as mechanical friction, model uncertainties, iteration errors and external interference in the training process undoubtedly bring potential dangers to the safety of rehabilitation training. Consequently, to escape unnecessary damage caused by external disturbances (especially the unbounded disturbances) during rehabilitation training, a noise-suppressing zeroing neural network human–machine interaction controller is developed in this work, which is based on the constructed human–machine coupling dynamic model and the active motion intention (active torque) of the subject identified by exploiting the deep convolutional neural network. The simulation experiments and statistical analyses verify that the present noise-suppressing zeroing neural network controller can be applied to monitor the lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton for assisting the subjects in various task with the external disturbances,and the average root mean square error of the hip, knee and ankle joints’ angles are 0.0015rad, 0.0051rad and 0.0056rad, respectively. Furthermore, a novel model predictive control is developed and analyzed based on noise-suppressing zeroing neural network controller, which can effectively constrain the angle and angular velocity of the lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton. The root mean square errors of hip, knee and ankle joint angle are 0.0032rad, 0.0078rad, and 0.0085rad, respectively. Finally, the platform experiment verifies that the proposed controllers can be utilized to control the lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton to assist the subjects in rehabilitation training.

Research on Mechanical Leg Structure Design and Control System of Lower Limb Exoskeleton Rehabilitation Robot Based on Magnetorheological Variable Stiffness and Damping Actuator

During the walking process of lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robots, inevitable collision impacts will occur when the swinging leg lands on the ground. The impact reaction force from the ground will induce vibrations in the entire robot’s body from bottom to top. To address this phenomenon, considering the limitations of traditional active compliance and passive compliance methods, a variable stiffness and damping actuator (VSDA) leg structure using a magnetorheological damper (MRD) is proposed. Firstly, experimental methods are used to obtain the ground reaction force (GRF) exerted on a normal person during walking. Then, a mathematical model of the VSDA leg structure is constructed, and its working principle is analyzed. Based on human mass and dimensions, a 3D model is designed and selected. Finally, a simulation model is built in the MATLAB/Simulink environment using the fuzzy switch damping control strategy to simulate the acceleration and displacement of the human body under sinusoidal and random excitations. The results indicate that under sinusoidal excitation, employing fuzzy switch damping control optimizes human displacement by 72.47% compared to the high stiffness and high damping system, and by 16.95% compared to the switch damping system. Human acceleration is optimized by 52.09% compared to the high stiffness and high damping system, and by 25.2% compared to the switch damping system. Under random excitation, adopting fuzzy switch damping control optimizes human displacement by 59.09% compared to the high stiffness and high damping system, and by 21.74% compared to the switch damping system. Human acceleration is optimized by 78.74% compared to the high stiffness and high damping system, and by 31.66% compared to the switch damping system. This validates the VSDA design structure and control method, demonstrating certain advantages in improving the compliance and stability of lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robots.

Advancements in Sensor Technologies and Control Strategies for Lower-Limb Rehabilitation Exoskeletons: A Comprehensive Review.

Lower-limb rehabilitation exoskeletons offer a transformative approach to enhancing recovery in patients with movement disorders affecting the lower extremities. This comprehensive systematic review delves into the literature on sensor technologies and the control strategies integrated into these exoskeletons, evaluating their capacity to address user needs and scrutinizing their structural designs regarding sensor distribution as well as control algorithms. The review examines various sensing modalities, including electromyography (EMG), force, displacement, and other innovative sensor types, employed in these devices to facilitate accurate and responsive motion control. Furthermore, the review explores the strengths and limitations of a diverse array of lower-limb rehabilitation-exoskeleton designs, highlighting areas of improvement and potential avenues for further development. In addition, the review investigates the latest control algorithms and analysis methods that have been utilized in conjunction with these sensor systems to optimize exoskeleton performance and ensure safe and effective user interactions. By building a deeper understanding of the diverse sensor technologies and monitoring systems, this review aims to contribute to the ongoing advancement of lower-limb rehabilitation exoskeletons, ultimately improving the quality of life for patients with mobility impairments.

Saturated Sliding Mode Control Scheme for a New Wearable Back-Support Exoskeleton

Low back pain has been torturing people around the world as a common and chronic disease, the main inducement of which is lumbar disc herniation (LDH). To alleviate patients’ pain noninvasively, this paper proposes a new lumbar spinal rehabilitation exoskeleton. This exoskeleton is composed of two bands connected by four motor-driven piston pushrods, where the range of band can be adjusted to adapt to people with different waistlines. The four pushrods provide support forces to hold the upper body to relieve the burden of lumbar. The joints between pushrods and band are universal pairs and spherical pairs. The whole structure can be regarded as a parallel robot, thus the supporting and waist tracking performance can be determined by motion control effect of pushrods. Considering the motor torque of pushrods is limited, in this paper, a saturated sliding mode control scheme is proposed. Meanwhile, an extended state observer (ESO) is employed to estimate the external disturbance and internal uncertainties, then the estimates of perturbations will be compensated by the feedback scheme. Furthermore, to enhance the disturbance-tracking performance of the ESO an integrated sliding mode observer is proposed to compensate the tracking errors of ESO. The stabilities of controller and observers are proved by Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, a simulation and two experiments are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed controller and the new exoskeleton. The simulation results show that the novel/new controller can drive the new exoskeleton to move along with the desirable trajectory to support the upper body so that alleviating the burden of waist. The results of myoelectricity experiments also show favorable effectiveness of exoskeleton on supporting upper body in different postures. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —this article was inspired by the concerns of low back pain that many people are suffering. Most existing rehabilitation robots tend to focus on supporting lower body and arms, while back-support rehabilitation robots are barely seen. Although we can see a few upper-body supporting robots in sporadic papers, these studies have not proposed a good control scheme yet. Besides, it is difficult to find a rehabilitation robot with simple structure as well as conforming to ergonomics. To resolve the shortcomings of the structure of existing robots and control models, we proposed a completely new rehabilitation robot with novel mechanical structure. Meanwhile, a new saturated sliding mode and novel integrated observer are employed in the position-force control system to enhance the stability and controllability of the whole robot control system. Then, some elaborately designed experiments are conducted to test the proposed robot and the control system. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly increase the trajectory tracking performance and alleviate low back pain.

Design and Modelling of a Human Upper Limb for Rehabilitation Exoskeleton

Design and Modelling of a Human Upper Limb for Rehabilitation Exoskeleton

Innovative Metaheuristic Optimization Approach with a Bi-Triad for Rehabilitation Exoskeletons.

The present work proposes a comprehensive metaheuristic methodology for the development of a medical robot for the upper limb rehabilitation, which includes the topological optimization of the device, kinematic models (5 DOF), human-robot interface, control and experimental tests. This methodology applies two cutting-edge triads: (1) the three points of view in engineering design (client, designer and community) and (2) the triad formed by three pillars of Industry 4.0 (autonomous machines and systems, additive manufacturing and simulation of virtual environments). By applying the proposed procedure, a robotic mechanism was obtained with a reduction of more than 40% of its initial weight and a human-robot interface with three modes of operation and a biomechanically viable kinematic model for humans. The digital twin instance and its evaluation through therapeutic routines with and without disturbances was assessed; the average RMSEs obtained were 0.08 rad and 0.11 rad, respectively. The proposed methodology is applicable to any medical robot, providing a versatile and effective solution for optimizing the design and development of healthcare devices. It adopts an innovative and scalable approach to enhance their processes.

An LMI-based robust state-feedback controller design for the position control of a knee rehabilitation exoskeleton robot: Comparative analysis

Rehabilitation exoskeleton robots play a crucial role in restoring functional lower limb movements for individuals with locomotor disorders. Numerous research studies have concentrated on adapting the control of these rehabilitation robotic systems. In this study, we investigate an affine state-feedback control law for robust position control of a knee exoskeleton robot, taking into account its nonlinear dynamic model that includes solid and viscous frictions. To ensure robust stabilization, we employ the Lyapunov approach and propose three methods to establish stability conditions using the Schur complement, the Young inequality, the matrix inversion lemma, and the S-procedure lemma. These conditions are formulated as Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). Furthermore, we conduct a comprehensive comparison among these methods to determine the most efficient approach. At the end of this work, we present simulation results to validate the developed LMI conditions and demonstrate the effectiveness of the adopted control law in achieving robust position control of the knee exoskeleton robot.

Soft Hand Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation: Approaches to Design, Manufacturing Methods, and Future Prospects

Stroke, the third leading cause of global disability, poses significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Addressing the restoration of impaired hand functions is crucial, especially amid healthcare workforce shortages. While robotic-assisted therapy shows promise, cost and healthcare community concerns hinder the adoption of hand exoskeletons. However, recent advancements in soft robotics and digital fabrication, particularly 3D printing, have sparked renewed interest in this area. This review article offers a thorough exploration of the current landscape of soft hand exoskeletons, emphasizing recent advancements and alternative designs. It surveys previous reviews in the field and examines relevant aspects of hand anatomy pertinent to wearable rehabilitation devices. Furthermore, the article investigates the design requirements for soft hand exoskeletons and provides a detailed review of various soft exoskeleton gloves, categorized based on their design principles. The discussion encompasses simulation-supported methods, affordability considerations, and future research directions. This review aims to benefit researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders by disseminating the latest advances in soft hand exoskeleton technology, ultimately enhancing stroke rehabilitation outcomes and patient care.

Muscle-inspired bi-planar cable routing: a novel framework for designing cable driven lower limb rehabilitation exoskeletons (C-LREX)

There is a growing interest in the research and development of Cable Driven Rehabilitation Devices (CDRDs) due to multiple inherent features attractive to clinical applications, including low inertia, lightweight, high payload-to-weight ratio, large workspace, and modular design. However, previous CDRDs have mainly focused on modifying motor impairment in the sagittal plane, despite the fact that neurological disorders, such as stroke, often involve postural control and gait impairment in multiple planes. To address this gap, this work introduces a novel framework for designing a cable-driven lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton which can assist with bi-planar impaired posture and gait. The framework used a lower limb model to analyze different cable routings inspired by human muscle architecture and attachment schemes to identify optimal routing and associated parameters. The selected cable routings were safeguarded for non-interference with the human body while generating bi-directional joint moments. The subsequent optimal cable routing model was then implemented in simulations of tracking reference healthy trajectory with bi-planar impaired gait (both in the sagittal and frontal planes). The results showed that controlling joints independently via cables yielded better performance compared to dependent control. Routing long cables through intermediate hinges reduced the peak tensions in the cables, however, at a cost of induced additional joint forces. Overall, this study provides a systematic and quantitative in silico approach, featured with accessible graphical user interface (GUI), for designing subject-specific, safe, and effective lower limb cable-driven exoskeletons for rehabilitation with options for multi-planar personalized impairment-specific features.

Design and motion control of exoskeleton robot for paralyzed lower limb rehabilitation.

Patients suffering from limb movement disorders require more complete rehabilitation treatment, and there is a huge demand for rehabilitation exoskeleton robots. Flexible and reliable motion control of exoskeleton robots is very important for patient rehabilitation. This paper proposes a novel exoskeleton robotic system for lower limb rehabilitation. The designed lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robot mechanism is mainly composed of the hip joint mechanism, the knee joint mechanism and the ankle joint mechanism. The forces and motion of the exoskeleton robot were analyzed in detail to determine its design parameters. The robot control system was developed to implement closed-loop position control and trajectory planning control of each joint mechanism. Multiple experiments and tests were carried out to verify robot's performance and practicality. In the robot angular response experiments, the joint mechanism could quickly adjust to different desired angles, including 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°. In the trajectory tracking experiments, the exoskeleton robot could complete tracking movements of typical actions such as walking, standing up, sitting down, go upstairs and go downstairs, with a maximum tracking error of ±5°. Robotic wearing tests on normal people were performed to verify the assistive effects of the lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton at different stages. The experimental results indicated that the exoskeleton robot has excellent reliability and practicality. The application of this exoskeleton robotic system will help paralyzed patients perform some daily movements and sports.

Simulation of a control method for active kinesiotherapy with an upper extremity rehabilitation exoskeleton without force sensor

Exoskeleton-aided active rehabilitation is a process that requires sensing and acting upon the motion intentions of the user. Typically, force sensors are used for this. However, they increase the weight and cost of these wearable devices. This paper presents the methodology for detecting users’ intentions only with encoders integrated with the drives. It is unique compared to other algorithms, as enables active kinesiotherapy while adding no sensory systems. The method is based on comparing the measured motion with the one computed with the idealised model of the multibody system. The investigation assesses the method’s performance and its robustness to model and measurement inaccuracies, as well as patients’ unintended motions. Moreover, the PID parameters are selected to provide the optimal regulation based on the dynamics requirements. The research proves the presented concept of the control approach. For all the tests with the final settings, the system reacts to a change in the user’s intention below one second and minimises the changes in proportion between the system’s acceleration and the generated user’s joint torque. The results are comparable to those obtained by EMG-based systems and significantly better than low-cost force sensors.

Model-free finite-time robust control using fractional-order ultra-local model and prescribed performance sliding surface for upper-limb rehabilitation exoskeleton

To address the trajectory tracking issue of upper-limb rehabilitation exoskeleton with uncertainties and external disturbances, this paper proposes a fractional-order ultra-local model-based model-free finite-time robust controller (FO-FTRC) using predefined performance sliding surface. Different from previous model-free control strategies, a novel multi-input multi-output (MIMO) fractional-order ultra-local model which is a virtual model is proposed to approximate the complex uncertain nonlinear exoskeleton dynamics in a short sliding time window. This allows the design of controller to be independent of any exoskeleton model information and reduces the difficulty of controller design. The developed robust model-free control method incorporates a fractional-order quasi-time delay estimator (FO-QTDE), unknown disturbance estimator (UDE) as well as prescribed performance sliding mode control (PPSMC). The FO-QTDE is utilized to estimate the unknown lumped uncertainties which employs short time delayed knowledge only about the control input. However, the low-pass filter is always added for FO-QTDE when disturbances change fast, which leads to unavoidable estimation error. Then, UDE is designed to further eliminate the estimation error of FO-QTDE to enhance control performance. The PPSMC is constructed to converge sliding surface to zero in a finite time. Besides, the sliding surface is always limited in performance boundaries. After that, the overall system stability and convergence analyses are demonstrated by using the Lyapunov theorem. Finally, with the comparison to other methods of α-variable adaptive model free control (α-AMFC), time-delay estimation-based continuous nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode controller (TDE-CNFTSMC), time delay estimation (TDE)-based model-free fractional-order nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control (MFF-TSM) and fractional-order proportion–differential (PDβ), the co-simulation results on 7-degree-of-freedom (DOF) iReHave upper-limb exoskeleton virtual prototype and experiment results on 2-DOF upper-limb exoskeleton are obtained to illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed FO-FTRC method.

Design of lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton with self-adaptive knee optimal force

With the increasingly serious trend of population aging in China, various diseases of the elderly are emerging in an endless stream, including hemiplegia, half limb disorder, limb numbness, hemianopia, and aphasia, with a high disability rate. The available auxiliary device cannot make a clear assistance for the patient, so that this design plans to make an exoskeleton for the patients who need effective rehabilitation alternatives and improve the rehabilitation efficiency. In this design, we would create Solid works model with some joint to fit human knees and then select sensors which are suitable to collect signs to depict kinematics features. The model, which has self-adaptation for receiving force signs from calf and knee joint, depends on the different force points of the calf lift affecting the stress state of the knee joint. Because the different stress points of the calf lift directly affect the stress state of the knee, so to find the best stress point of the calf is the research direction of this paper. In order to find the best and the most suitable force point of the human lower limb, we two methods, step-by-step process and dichotomy process, were discussed and compared in this study. Reasonable material may decide the robotic features.

Mechatronic Hand Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation after Stroke

The article presents the results of the development of a prototype of a functional layout of a soft exoskeleton of the hand, which is part of a robotic complex for restoring the function of the upper limb of patients after a stroke. The use of the layout will allow for therapy based on a mixed approach, which implements both assistance in carrying out independent movements of the patient’s hand, and their full implementation using data on its movement recorded during rehabilitation procedures. The authors of the manuscript present a comparative and quantitative analysis of two options for laying a cable system that drives the patient’s hand and fingers. To determine the best option for laying cables, a parametric study of the amount of work performed and the bending time of one finger was carried out, depending on the options for laying with and without taking into account the load. In the first variant, the cables were laid with small stitches of the order of one centimeter along the lower surface of the finger. In the second variant, the cable passed through the glove in places of natural attachment of tendons to bones. Testing was carried out on the index finger of a relaxed healthy person. At the initial moment of time, the hand occupied a position along the body, the fingers were completely unclenched, while a load was fixed on the distal phalanx. The flexion time of the finger was determined by a touch sensor attached to the palm of the hand. The results of experimental studies showed that cables with a minimum number of attachment points to the base of the exoskeleton in places of natural attachment of tendons to the bone give maximum effort and ensure the achievement of the largest range of possible positions of the phalanges of the fingers. The results of studies of the developed efforts on the part of the device on the fingers of a healthy person are also presented, which allow us to conclude that it can be used for rehabilitation purposes.

Design, modeling and analysis of a novel index finger exoskeleton for stroke rehabilitation

Inpatient rehabilitation The rehabilitation of hand function in stroke patients is greatly aided by exoskeleton robots, which have become a new focus of research. However, there are still many defects in the existing research, for example, the Exoskeleton model is fixed and needs to be customized. The purpose of this study is to design and model an adjustable size Exoskeleton robot for hand rehabilitation of stroke patients. Hand dysfunction after stroke has a serious impact on the quality of life and daily activity ability of patients, so effective rehabilitation measures are crucial. As an innovative rehabilitation tool, Exoskeleton robot has the potential to assist movement and provide strength support. Through the biomechanical modeling of the hand and the exploration of the design principle of the Exoskeleton robot, this research proposes a design scheme that meets the requirements of functionality, safety and comfort. In the design process, we modeled the Kinematics of the exoskeleton robot based on the principles of hand biomechanics modeling. By establishing a simulation model, we verified the effectiveness and stability of the design. In conclusion, this study designed and modeled a Exoskeleton robot for hand rehabilitation of stroke patients. Through simulation and experimental verification, we proved the potential of the Exoskeleton robot in providing force support, Restoration Movement function and adapting to different hand sizes. This study provides a new tool for hand rehabilitation in stroke patients and provides reference for future design and improvement.

Study on the safety of elbow joint with simple upper limb rehabilitation exoskeleton

Due to the great demand for treating physicians for patients with disabilities caused by stroke, in order to reduce the workload of doctors, exoskeleton robots have been effectively applied and promoted in post-illness health care. Because the human rehabilitation movement needs certain accuracy and low error tolerance rate, the rehabilitation exoskeleton robot requires high precision. Since the exoskeleton robot needs to be worn on the human body, there are certain requirements for the size and wearing comfort of the machine, and the functional structure of all aspects of the upper limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot still needs to be further improved. In the medical rehabilitation exoskeleton, for the elbow exoskeleton of the upper limb, an elbow exoskeleton with binding structure is proposed in this paper. The elastic structure connects the human body with the binding structure, and on this basis, the wearing comfort is improved through the improvement of the structure and the selection of materials. At the same time, the passive joint between the binding structure and the exoskeleton is designed. In case of motion error when the motor is actively driven, the passive joint reduces the harmful force and torque, so as to ensure safety. Finally, the feasibility of this method is demonstrated through simulation and analysis of the movement of exoskeleton machine. It is proved that the design has certain practicability and reference value for practical treatment.

Brain-computer interface technology for rehabilitation exoskeleton applications

In recent years, the development of brain-computer interface (BCI) and exoskeleton technology has received more and more attention. Brain-computer interface, a technology that allows the human brain to communicate with electronic devices or computer programs, has potential applications in sports rehabilitation for the disabled and smart home control. Exoskeleton technology, on the other hand, provides humans with enhanced movement and strength, offering new possibilities for improving the quality of life for people with mobility disorders. Several applications of brain-computer interface and exoskeleton technology are discussed. Applications of brain-computer interfaces range from motor rehabilitation, allowing patients to regain control of paralyzed limbs, to controlling virtual environments and assistive devices. Exoskeletons, on the other hand, enable people with reduced mobility to walk again, providing them with more independence and function. This paper introduces the latest research progress of BCI and exoskeleton technology, including the latest breakthroughs in machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, which greatly improve the accuracy and speed of BCI control. Challenges such as developing lightweight and user-friendly exoskeletons and addressing safety and ethical issues in BCI applications are also discussed. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date reference for researchers and science enthusiasts interested in brain-computer interface and exoskeleton technology.

Synergetic gait prediction and compliant control of SEA-driven knee exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation.

In recent years, lower limb exoskeletons have achieved satisfactory clinical curative effects in rehabilitating stroke patients. Furthermore, generating individualized trajectories for each patient and avoiding secondary injury in rehabilitation training are important issues. This paper explores the utilization of series elastic actuator (SEA) to deliver compliant force and enhance impact resistance in human-robot interaction, and we present the design of novel knee exoskeleton driven by SEA. Subsequently, the novel gait trajectory prediction method and compliant control method are proposed. The attention-based CNN-LSTM model is established to generate personalized gait trajectories for affected limbs, in which the spatial-temporal attention mechanism is adopted to improve the prediction accuracy. The compliant control strategy is proposed to nonlinearly and adaptively tune impedance parameters based on artificial potential field (APF) method, and active rehabilitation training is carried out in the coordination space to guarantee patient safety. The experimental results based on four healthy subjects demonstrated that synergetic gait prediction model could satisfactorily characterize the coordination movement with higher accuracy. The compliant control could limit the patient's movement in the safe coordination tunnel while considering personalization and flexibility.

Powered single hip joint exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Gait disorders and as a consequence, robotic rehabilitation techniques are becoming increasingly prevalent as the population ages. In the area of rehabilitation robotics, using lightweight single hip joint exoskeletons are of significance. Considering no prior systematic review article on clinical outcomes, we aim to systematically review powered hip exoskeletons in terms of gait parameters and metabolic expenditure effects. Three databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of science were searched for clinical articles comparing outcomes of gait rehabilitation using hip motorized exoskeleton with conventional methods, on patients with gait disorder or healthy individuals. Of total number of 37 reviewed articles, 14 trials were quantitatively analyzed. Analyses performed in terms of gait spatiotemporal parameters like speed (self-speed and maximum speed), step length, stride length, cadence, and oxygen consumption. Improved clinical outcomes of gait spatiotemporal parameters with hip joint exoskeletons are what our review's findings show. In terms of gait values, meta-analysis indicates that rehabilitation with single hip joint exoskeleton enhanced parameters of maximum speed by 0.13 m/s (0.10-0.17) and step length by 0.06 m (0.05-0.07). For the remaining investigated gait parameters, no statistically significant difference was observed. Regarding metabolic parameters, oxygen consumption was lower in individuals treated with hip exoskeleton (- 1.23 ml/min/kg; range - 2.13 to - 0.32). Although the analysis demonstrated improvement with just specific gait measures utilizing powered hip exoskeletons, the lack of improvement in all parameters is likely caused by the high patient condition heterogeneity among the evaluated articles. We also noted in patients who rehabilitated with the hip exoskeleton, the oxygen cost was lower. More randomized controlled trials are needed to verify both the short- and long-term clinical outcomes, including patient-reported measures. Level I (systematic review and meta-analysis).

Design and Research of Series Actuator Structure and Control System Based on Lower Limb Exoskeleton Rehabilitation Robot

Lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robots have become an important direction for development in today’s society. These robots can provide support and power to assist patients in walking and movement. In order to achieve better interaction between humans and machines and achieve the goal of flexible driving, this paper addresses the shortcomings of traditional elastic actuators and designs a series elastic–damping actuator (SEDA). The SEDA combines elastic and damping components in parallel, and the feasibility of the design and material selection is demonstrated through finite element static analysis. By modeling the dynamics of the SEDA, using the Bode plot and Nyquist plot, open-loop and closed-loop frequency domain comparisons and analyses were carried out, respectively, to verify the effect of damping coefficients on the stability of the system, and the stiffness coefficient ks = 25.48 N/mm was selected as the elastic element and the damping coefficient cs = 1 Ns/mm was selected as the damping element. A particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based algorithm was proposed to introduce the fuzzy controller into the PID control system, and five parameters, namely the the fuzzy controller’s fuzzy factor (ke, kec) and de-fuzzy factor (kp1, ki1, kd1), are taken as the object of the algorithm optimization to obtain the optimal fuzzy controller parameters of ke = 0.8, kec = 0.2, kp1 = 0.5, ki1 = 8, kd1 = −0.1. The joint torque output with and without external interference is simulated, and the simulation model is established in the MATLAB/Simulink environment The results show that when fuzzy PID control is used, the amount of overshooting in the system is 14.6%, and the regulation time is 0.66 s. This has the following advantages: small overshooting amount, short rise time, fast response speed, short regulation time, good stability performance, and strong anti-interference ability. The SEDA design structure and control method breaks through limitations of the traditional series elastic actuator (SEA) such as its lack of flexibility and stability, which is very helpful to improve the output effect of flexible joints.