André António Diogo, Martins Pedro
Associated Laboratory of Energy, Transports and Aeronautics (LAETA), Biomechanic and Health Unity (UBS), Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI), 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2023 Nov 17;10(11):1328. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering10111328.
Human societies have been trying to mitigate the suffering of individuals with physical impairments, with a special effort in the last century. In the 1950s, a new concept arose, finding similarities between animal exoskeletons, and with the goal of medically aiding human movement (for rehabilitation applications). There have been several studies on using exosuits with this purpose in mind. So, the current review offers a critical perspective and a detailed analysis of the steps and key decisions involved in the conception of an exoskeleton. Choices such as design aspects, base materials (structure), actuators (force and motion), energy sources (actuation), and control systems will be discussed, pointing out their advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, examples of exosuits (full-body, upper-body, and lower-body devices) will be presented and described, including their use cases and outcomes. The future of exoskeletons as possible assisted movement solutions will be discussed-pointing to the best options for rehabilitation.
人类社会一直在努力减轻身体有缺陷者的痛苦，尤其是在上个世纪付出了特别的努力。20世纪50年代，一个新的概念出现了，人们发现动物外骨骼之间存在相似之处，并旨在从医学上辅助人类运动（用于康复应用）。已经有几项关于为此目的使用外骨骼套装的研究。因此，本综述提供了一个批判性的视角，并对设计外骨骼所涉及的步骤和关键决策进行了详细分析。将讨论诸如设计方面、基础材料（结构）、致动器（力和运动）、能源（驱动）和控制系统等选择，指出它们的优点和缺点。此外，还将展示和描述外骨骼套装（全身、上身和下身装置）的示例，包括它们的用例和效果。将讨论外骨骼作为可能的辅助运动解决方案的未来——指出康复的最佳选择。
