November 16, 2021  

A light-weight exoskeleton for the elderly.

Graduate students at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) have developed an improved exoskeleton design using maxon brushless DC motors and motor controllers.

Members of the Mechatronic Engineering department of NTNU have developed a lightweight lower extremity exoskeletal robot to assist people who have difficulty walking. The exoskeleton provides support for the hips and knees.

Exoskeletons have been in development since the mid-seventies and have continued to evolve following advancements with technology. Price, weight, safety, ease-of-use, and a proper fit all pose challenges to developing exoskeletons that are practical for the general public.

Graduate students in the Intelligent Automation/Robotic Lab at NTNU found that—due to heavy motors and batteries—most exoskeletons are difficult for users to put on without assistance. The lack of a user-friendly design means that most exoskeletons are inconvenient and can pose a safety risk to the user. Due to the high cost of hardware, they’re also expensive.

Using maxon DC brushless motors and motor controllers for the hip and knee joints, the students were able to develop a high-torque wearable unit that is smaller and lighter. By incorporating lightweight 3D printed components along with high-efficiency DC motors from maxon, the exoskeleton provides an agile, user-friendly solution to an aging population.

The team’s next goal is to extend the development an exoskeleton for the ankle joints and feet, exploiting the same easy-to-wear design as their exoskeleton for the hips and knees.

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About maxon Group Australia

maxon is a manufacturer of world-class precision drive systems. At maxon, we develop and build high precision electric drive systems that are among the best in the world. We combine brushed and brushless DC motors, gearheads, sensors, and controllers into complete mechatronic drive systems. Since 1961, businesses from a wide range of industries including medical technology, robotics, industrial automation, mobility, and aerospace place their trust in reliable drive systems by maxon. Our drives are perfectly suited for wherever extreme precision and the highest quality standards are necessary and where compromises cannot be tolerated – on Earth, and on Mars. We are driven by progress. We are certain that we can continuously improve – even what seems to be perfect – over and over again. We believe that outstanding engineers and technicians can make a positive impact on the world. This is why we support them in their efforts to go off the beaten path and provide the right drives for their ideas. We do this because we share in their uncompromising drive to excel in technology.

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