Robotic exoskeleton for functional assistance in the march of patients with incomplete spinal injuries: design and initial application

There are people with pathologies such as hemiplegia, paraplegia, cerebral palsy and other spinal cord diseases that suffer from motor conditions in the lower extremities, which makes normal performance impossible in the march. This motor impediment limits the patient to normal daily activities. However, there are robotic devices that guide the lower extremities to follow certain trajectories with the purpose of exercising the patient and accelerating their recovery, when motor lesions are incomplete. This research proposal presents the consolidation of the development of a usable robotic exoskeleton in lower limbs that attend patients with incomplete motor injuries, in march rehabilitation processes. The purpose is to return autonomy of movement to the patient, through medical robotic technology. The exoskeleton control system will be developed through adaptive control algorithms that allow to adjust to different gear patterns and specific requirements of the patient, depending on their limitations. The validity of the exoskeleton will be determined through its use, in individuals without movement restrictions and tests in at least two patients with mobility limitations.

XVII UNIVERSITY COMPETITION FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS