Humotech Onboard, Vol 1(2) May, 2019
New: Caplex Hip Exoskeleton
You asked, we created
When it comes to lower body biomechanics and assistive devices, research has often focused on foot and ankle function. This research inevitably raised new questions, leading to rising interest in how the hip functions (and malfunctions). Clearly, better understanding of the hip’s role is crucial to the efficacy of exoskeleton and prosthetic devices.
It’s an area ripe for exploration, so we weren’t surprised when a customer contacted us about the possibility of a hip exoskeleton to use with the Caplex system. We were happy to adjust our new product development schedule to put our hip exo at the head of the line.
The Caplex EXO-004 Hip Exoskeleton is a lightweight, high-performance tethered hip exoskeleton. When used with the Caplex system, it’s a testbed for emulating hip exoskeleton mechanics. It’s easy to put on, comfortable to wear, and adjusts to fit different people.
The EXO-004 can be configured for unilateral or bilateral actuation. Also, each joint can be actively actuated in flexion and extension (with a separate motor for each direction), or with one or the other direction passively actuated with a spring (four configurations: actuated flexion; actuated extension; actuated flexion and extension; and actuated extension plus spring-loaded flexion).
Whether you’re investigating issues of movement assistance or the possibility of a real-world super suit, the EXO-004 can help you design, test, then build.
Customer Spotlight
Karl Zelik and the Pursuit of Super Suits
Karl Zelik and his team at Vanderbilt’s Center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology (CREATE) are on a quest to create assistive exoskeletons that can integrate seamlessly into daily life and be concealed under everyday clothing. Or, as Dr. Zelik puts it, “We try to blend all the design aspects we love about previous exoskeletons with all the things we love about everyday clothing. Basically, we’re a bunch of adults still dreaming about transforming ourselves into superheroes, and we want our own super suits!”
Zelik and his students Erik Lamers, David Ziemnicki, Matthew Yandell, and Joshua Tacca are currently using Humotech’s Caplex system in three projects and have recently published their first paper describing the design of a low-profile, unpowered ankle exoskeleton that fits under clothes. They used Humotech’s Caplex system for benchtop tests to characterize the holding force of their new under-the-foot friction clutch mechanism. Their new design is the first ankle plantarflexion assistance exoskeleton that can be feasibly worn under ordinary daily clothing without restricting ankle motion and without device components protruding substantially from the shoe, leg, waist, or back.
The team is also using the Caplex system and components on human in-the-loop optimization of lower back assistance, artificial gastrocnemius, and an exosuit comfort study. In a December 2018 interview by Ivanhoe Broadcast News (published Feb. 7, 2019), Dr. Zelik said that the idea for “smart clothing” to prevent back pain was triggered by his three-year-old son who “insists on getting bigger”—all that lifting and carrying familiar to parents. Back injury and its resulting chronic pain are also one of the leading causes of missed work, not to mention the impact chronic back pain has on every aspect of daily life. The idea behind Zelik’s “smart underwear” is to alleviate the stress and workload, especially for those whose work requires a lot of repetitive lifting or prolonged leaning. The assistive clothing wouldn’t do the work for the user, but it would assist, thereby preventing overuse injury risks.