Development and Design of a Lower Extremity Exoskeleton Testing Platform for Adjustable External Load Conditions

Exoskeletons represent a human-machine loop system, and their performances are often assessed by designing various tests after being worn by a human. However, the high temporal variability of the human body often affects the objectivity of the assessment results and makes it difficult to reproduce the same experimental conditions. Utilizing the characteristics of stable robot motion, a bipedal bionic robot was designed in this study to facilitate the wearing of exoskeletons. When the bionic legs are equipped with the exoskeleton for performing test actions, the status of the exoskeleton can be assessed based on various sensor measurements. Additionally, a gantry structure with a vertical linear slide and counterweight block was also designed in this study. The bionic legs were affixed to the structure to provide stability during their motion and to introduce additional loading conditions. Finally, the validation was conducted by implementing a squatting motion with the bionic legs, yielding promising preliminary results.