Design of a Modular Pediatric Exoskeleton (P-LEGS) for Assist-As-Needed Overground Walking

Abstract

Powered exoskeletons promise to restore walking and improve the quality of life of persons with lower-limb gait disabilities. However, this technology is currently unavailable to the young pediatric population outside of a research setting. We introduce the design principles for the development of a child-specific powered exoskeleton for assist-as-needed overground walking. The pediatric lower-extremity gait system (P-LEGS) exoskeleton is modular, with bilaterally active hip, knee and ankle joints and assist-as-needed multimodal shared control for young children (of age 4-8) with lower-limb disabilities. Emphasis will be in the lessons learned regarding engineering, regulatory, clinical, and end-user metrics during the development and initial validation of the device.