A Modular, Backdrivable Ankle Exoskeleton for Assisting the Activities of Daily Life

This new modular, backdrivable ankle exoskeleton extends the knee and hip modules of our M-BLUE (Modular Backdrivable Lower-Limb Unloading Exoskeleton) system at the University of Michigan. The video shows the simple assembly of the device, which can work independently or in coordination with other joint modules. We also implement and demonstrate a high-level energy shaping controller to provide plantarflexion and dorsiflexion assistance over a circuit of activities of daily living. Created by S. Zhao*, K. Walters*, J.M. Perez, and R.D. Gregg. *Indicates co-first authors This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or NIH.