Vrije Universiteit Brussel


KNEXO, powered KNee EXOskeleton

Research results

KNEXO, powered KNee EXOskeleton

(click to enlarge)

A powered KNee EXOskeleton (KNEXO) has been designed, built and evaluated in order to study different design and control concepts in support of the development of a bilateral lower limb exoskeleton. This prototype serves as an evaluation platform for a specific lightweight variable compliance actuator, the pleated pneumatic artificial muscle (PPAM), and for suitable control strategies that ensure safe and compliant physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) in a gait rehabilitation setting.

The key features of KNEXO are:
  • A novel actuator system based on lightweight and high force pleated pneumatic artificial muscles (PPAMs) for full knee support during treadmill walking.

  • A "zero-torque" mode for unassisted walking and reference knee pattern recording.

  • A tuneable assistive mode based on a dedicated interaction-based trajectory controller combining compliant guidance with a safe response to human interaction torques.

Robot-assisted walking experiments have been conducted with several unimpaired subjects, a stroke patient and a multiple sclerosis patient.
  • Movie (14 MB) of a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient walking with and without assistance by KNEXO

Publications

International Journal Articles

  • BEYL P., KNAEPEN K., DUERINCK S., VAN DAMME M., VANDERBORGHT B., LEFEBER D., Safe and compliant guidance by a powered knee exoskeleton for robot-assisted rehabilitation of gait, Advanced Robotics [accepted]
  • SWINNEN E, DUERINCK S, BAEYENS J-P, MEEUSEN R, KERCKHOFS E, Effectiveness of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients: a systematic review, Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine [accepted]
  • KNAEPEN K, GOEKINT M, HEYMAN E, MEEUSEN R, Neuroplasticity: what is the effect of acute exercise and training on brain-derived neurotrophic factor ? A review of experimental studies on human subjects, Sports Medicine [accepted]
  • VAN HAM R, SUGAR T, VANDERBORGHT B, HOLLANDER K, LEFEBER D, Compliant actuator designs, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, Volume 16 Issue 3, September 2009, pp. 81 - 94
  • BEYL P, VAN DAMME M, VAN HAM R, VANDERBORGHT B, LEFEBER D, Design and Control of a Lower Limb Exoskeleton for Robot-assisted Gait Training, Applied Bionics and Biomechanics: special issue on lower and upper limb exoskeletons, Volume 6 Issue 2, June 2009, pp. 229-243

International Abstracts & Congress Papers

  • BEYL P, VAN DAMME M, CHERELLE P, LEFEBER D, Safe and compliant guidance in robot-assisted gait rehabilitation using proxy-based sliding mode control, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, 2009, pp 277-282
  • BEYL P, VAN DAMME M, VAN HAM R, VERSLUYS R, VANDERBORGHT B, LEFEBER D, An Exoskeleton for Gait Rehabilitation: Prototype Design and Control Principle, Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2008, pp 2037–2042
  • BEYL P, VAN DAMME M, VAN HAM R, LEFEBER D, Design and control concepts of an exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation, Proceedings of the 2nd Biennial IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, 2008, pp 49-54
  • BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KNAEPEN K, LEFEBER D, A proof-of-concept exoskeleton for robot-assisted rehabilitation of gait, Proceedings of the 4th European Congress for Medical and Biomedical Engineering, 2008, pp 1825 – 1829
  • SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, DUERINCK S, VAES P, VAN ROY P, BAEYENS JP, POULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, Effectiveness of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients: a critical appraisal of the literature, 4th International State-of-the-art Congress “Rehabilitation: Mobility, Exercise & Sports”, 2009
  • DUERINCK S, VAN ROY P, VAES P, KNAEPEN K, SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, PULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, The impact of an actuated ankle on the walking performance following neurologic injuries, 4th International State-of-the-art Congress “Rehabilitation: Mobility, Exercise & Sports”, 2009

National Abstracts and Congress Papers

  • SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, KNAEPEN K, DUERINCK S, VAES P, VAN ROY P, BAEYENS JP, POULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, Effectiveness of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients: a critical appraisal of the literature, Book of Abstracts Vde Dag van de Doctorandi LK, Brussel, 2009, pp 22
  • DUERINCK S, VAN ROY P, VAES P, KNAEPEN K, SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, PULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, The impact of an actuated ankle on the walking performance following neurologic injuries, Book of Abstracts Vde Dag van de Doctorandi LK, Brussel, 2009, pp 23
  • BEYL P, CHERELLE P, VERSLUYS R, VANDERNIEPEN I, LEFEBER D, A powered knee exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation, Proceedings of the 8th National Congress on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 2009, pp 188-194
  • KNAEPEN K, ALTACRO – Automated Locomotor Training Using an Actuated Compliant Robotic Orthosis, Book of Abstracts IVde Dag van de Doctorandi LK, Brussel, 2008, pp 15

International Oral Presentations

  • SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, KNAEPEN K, DUERINCK S, VAES P, VAN ROY P, BAEYENS JP, POULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, Effectiveness of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients: a critical appraisal of the literature, 4th International State-of-the-art Congress “Rehabilitation: Mobility, Exercise & Sports”, Amsterdam, 2009
  • KERCKHOFS E, SWINNEN E, Is there a role for robot-assisted gait training in persons with MS? XII SIG in-between Meeting on Mobility, RIMS, Hasselt, 2009
  • BEYL P, VAN DAMME M, CHERELLE P, LEFEBER D, Safe and compliant guidance in robot-assisted gait rehabilitation using proxy-based sliding mode control, 11th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), Kyoto, Japan, June 23-26, 2009
  • BEYL P, VAN DAMME M, VAN HAM R, VERSLUYS R, VANDERBORGHT B, LEFEBER D, An Exoskeleton for Gait Rehabilitation: Prototype Design and Control Principle, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Pasadena (CA), USA, May 19-23, 2008
  • BEYL P, VAN DAMME M, VAN HAM R, LEFEBER D, Design and control concepts of an exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation, 2nd Biennial IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BIOROB), Scottsdale (AZ), USA, October 19-22, 2008
  • BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KNAEPEN K, LEFEBER D, A proof-of-concept exoskeleton for robot-assisted rehabilitation of gait, 4th European Congress for Medical and Biomedical Engineering (EMBEC), Antwerpen, België, November 23-27, 2008

National Oral Presentations

  • BEYL P, CHERELLE P, VERSLUYS R, VANDERNIEPEN I, LEFEBER D, A powered knee exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation, 8th National Congress on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Brussel, België, May 28-29, 2009
  • SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, KNAEPEN K, DUERINCK S, VAES P, VAN ROY P, BAEYENS JP, POULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, Effectiveness of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients: a critical appraisal of the literature, Vde Dag van de Doctorandi LK, Brussel, 24 april 2009
  • DUERINCK S, VAN ROY P, VAES P, KNAEPEN K, SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, PULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, The impact of an actuated ankle on the walking performance following neurologic injuries, Vde Dag van de Doctorandi LK, Brussel, 24 april 2009
  • KNAEPEN K, ALTACRO – Automated Locomotor Training Using an Actuated Compliant Robotic Orthosis, IVde Dag van de Doctorandi LK, Brussel, 11 april 2008

International Poster Presentations

  • DUERINCK S, VAN ROY P, VAES P, KNAEPEN K, SWINNEN E, KERCKHOFS E, POULIART N, BEYL P, CHERELLE P, KOOL P, LEFEBER D, MEEUSEN R, The impact of an actuated ankle on the walking performance following neurologic injuries, 4th International State-of-the-art Congress “Rehabilitation: Mobility, Exercise & Sports”, 2009
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