Biomechatronics and Intelligent Robotics Lab

Portable High Torque Hip Exoskeleton

Our design of quasi-direct drive actuation-based exoskeleton demonstrates mechanical versatility for being lightweight (3.2 kg overall mass), compliant (backdrivable) with high torque (36 Nm) and high control bandwidth.

Figure 1

Specifications

Property Value
Total Mass 3.2 kg
Portability Fully Portable
Voltage 24 V
Rated Torque 12 Nm
Peak Torque 36 Nm
Gear Ratio 9:1
Flexion/Extension
Abduction/Adduction
130°/40°
90°/60°
Battery Life 1.5 hours

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Architecture of Sensor, Communication, Control

The electronic architecture of the exoskeleton facilitated high-level torque control, motor control, sensor signal conditioning, data communication, and power management.

Figure 1

Video 2023 ICRA

Video 2020 Transactions on Mechatronics

Publication

  • S. Yu, T.H Huang, X. Yang, C. Jiao, J. Yang, Y. Chen, J. Yi, H. Su. "Quasi-Direct Drive Actuation for a Lightweight Hip Exoskeleton with High Backdrivability and High Bandwidth", IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics. vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 1794-1802, Aug. 2020. (ASME Mechatronics TC 2020 Best Student Paper) PDF | Presentation Video | Short Demo Video | Code | Award

  • I. Dominguez, S. Luo, R. Wu, H. Su, “Reinforcement Learning through Physics-based and Data-driven Approaches for Exoskeleton Control in the Real World” 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Workshop: Neuromechanics Meets Deep Learning, London, UK. PDF | Poster