Grimmer Martin, Zhao Guoping
Institute for Sport Scienceand Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany.
School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211102, China.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2024 Jul 5;11(7):683. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering11070683.
Cycling stands as one of the most widely embraced leisure activities and serves purposes such as exercise, rehabilitation, and commuting. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of assisting three unimpaired participants (age: 34.0 ± 7.9 years, height: 1.86 ± 0.02 m, weight: 75.7 ± 12.7 kg) using the GuroX hip exoskeleton, originally designed for walking assistance, during cycling against a resistance of 1 W/kg. The performance evaluation employed a sweep protocol that manipulated the timing of the exoskeleton's peak extension and flexion torque in addition to human-in-the-loop optimization to enhance these timings based on metabolic cost. Our findings indicate that with a peak assistance torque of approximately 10.3 Nm for extension and flexion, the GuroX substantially reduced the net metabolic cost of cycling by 31.4 ± 8.1% and 26.4 ± 14.1% compared to transparent and without exoskeleton conditions, respectively. This demonstrates the significant potential of a hip exoskeleton developed for walking assistance to profoundly benefit cycling. Additionally, customizing the assistance strategy proves beneficial in maximizing assistance. While we attribute the average motor power to be a major contributor to the reduced cycling effort, participant feedback suggests that user comfort and synchronization between the user and exoskeleton may have played integral roles. Further research should validate our initial findings by employing a larger participant pool in real-world conditions. Incorporating a more diverse set of parameters for the human-in-the-loop optimization could enhance individualized assistance strategies.
骑自行车是最受欢迎的休闲活动之一，具有锻炼、康复和通勤等功能。本研究旨在评估使用原本设计用于步行辅助的GuroX髋外骨骼，协助三名身体无损伤的参与者（年龄：34.0±7.9岁，身高：1.86±0.02米，体重：75.7±12.7千克）在以1瓦/千克的阻力进行骑行时的可行性。性能评估采用了一种扫描协议，该协议除了通过人在回路优化来根据代谢成本改善外骨骼的峰值伸展和屈曲扭矩的时间外，还对其进行了调整。我们的研究结果表明，对于伸展和屈曲，当峰值辅助扭矩约为10.3牛米时，与透明条件和无外骨骼条件相比，GuroX分别将骑行的净代谢成本大幅降低了31.4±8.1%和26.4±14.1%。这表明为步行辅助开发的髋外骨骼对骑行有显著益处的巨大潜力。此外，定制辅助策略被证明有助于最大化辅助效果。虽然我们认为平均电机功率是骑行省力的主要因素，但参与者的反馈表明，用户舒适度以及用户与外骨骼之间的同步性可能也起到了重要作用。进一步的研究应通过在现实世界条件下使用更大的参与者群体来验证我们的初步研究结果。纳入更多样化的人在回路优化参数集可以增强个性化的辅助策略。
