Design and development of a human-machine interactive-force controlled powered upper-limb exoskeleton for human augmentation and physical rehabilitation

The vast majority of powered exoskeletons have been confined to academic research. Although the potential benefits of human augmentation and machine aided physical therapy are numerous, many challenges need to be overcome. One critical challenge is the need for a practical HMI (Human Machine Interface). BMI (Brain-Machine Interface) methods of exoskeleton control have numerous unsolved practical problems that ultimately limit their practicality. Hence, research into alternative control systems is urgently needed. This paper proposes an alternative exoskeleton control system, which uses human-machine interactive-forces as input signals. The inherent versatility of this approach, which exploits the efficiency of natural human proprioception, does not require individualized calibration and aims to bring exoskeleton technology closer to practical use.