Talocrural exoskeleton

2020: Announcement

At the end of March, 2020 engineers of Stanford University provided a talocrural exoskeleton which facilitates run for 15%. They provided the technology to the rehabilitation centers, helping people with violation of the movement of legs.

Researchers studied two different modes of the help of an exoskeleton at run: use of the engine and spring. It turned out that the exoskeleton in the switched-off status increases energy costs for run approximately by 13%. However at a proper power supply from the engine the exoskeleton reduces energy costs for run, doing it it is 15% easier. At the same time use of an exoskeleton on the basis of the spring simply made heavier run for 11%.

Engineers of Stanford University provided a talocrural exoskeleton which facilitates run for 15%

At run of a leg are used as the spring therefore we very much were surprised that the help in a type of the spring was inefficient — Steve Collins, the associate professor of mechanical engineering in Stanford noted. — All of us intuitively represent how we run or we go, but scientists still make discoveries in the field of mechanics of a human body which allows us to move so effectively.

The exoskeleton clasps a shin of the user and is attached to footwear using the rope fixed by a loop under a heel and the insert from carbon fiber which is built in a sole about a sock. Eleven experienced runners estimated two types of the help during run on the racetrack. Each runner had to get used to the emulator of an exoskeleton before testing, and work of an exoskeleton was configured individually taking into account a cycle and phases of gait. During tests researchers measured power costs of runners on oxygen consumption.

The economy of energy observed by researchers demonstrates that the runner using an exoskeleton can increase speed by 10%. This digit can be even higher if runners have an extra time for trainings and optimization.^[1]

Notes