PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Cycling stands as one of the most widely embraced leisure activities and serves purposes such as exercise, rehabilitation, and commuting. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of assisting three unimpaired participants (age: 34.0 ± 7.9 years, height: 1.86 ± 0.02 m, weight: 75.7 ± 12.7 kg) using the GuroX hip exoskeleton, originally designed for walking assistance, during cycling against a resistance of 1 W/kg. The performance evaluation employed a sweep protocol that manipulated the timing of the exoskeleton\'s peak extension and flexion torque in addition to human-in-the-loop optimization to enhance these timings based on metabolic cost. Our findings indicate that with a peak assistance torque of approximately 10.3 Nm for extension and flexion, the GuroX substantially reduced the net metabolic cost of cycling by 31.4 ± 8.1% and 26.4 ± 14.1% compared to transparent and without exoskeleton conditions, respectively. This demonstrates the significant potential of a hip exoskeleton developed for walking assistance to profoundly benefit cycling. Additionally, customizing the assistance strategy proves beneficial in maximizing assistance. While we attribute the average motor power to be a major contributor to the reduced cycling effort, participant feedback suggests that user comfort and synchronization between the user and exoskeleton may have played integral roles. Further research should validate our initial findings by employing a larger participant pool in real-world conditions. Incorporating a more diverse set of parameters for the human-in-the-loop optimization could enhance individualized assistance strategies.
摘要：
骑自行车是最广泛接受的休闲活动之一，用于锻炼等目的，康复,和通勤。这项研究旨在评估协助三名未受损参与者的可行性（年龄：34.0±7.9岁，高度：1.86±0.02m，重量：75.7±12.7kg）使用GuroX髋关节外骨骼，最初设计用于助行，在对1W/kg的阻力循环。性能评估采用了扫描协议，该协议可以操纵外骨骼的峰值伸展和屈曲扭矩的时序，此外还可以进行人在环优化，以基于代谢成本来增强这些时序。我们的研究结果表明，对于伸展和屈曲，峰值辅助扭矩约为10.3Nm。与透明且无外骨骼条件相比，GuroX大大降低了循环的净代谢成本31.4±8.1％和26.4±14.1％，分别。这证明了开发用于步行辅助的髋部外骨骼对骑自行车具有深远的益处的巨大潜力。此外,定制援助策略证明有利于最大限度地提高援助。虽然我们认为平均电机功率是减少循环工作量的主要原因，参与者反馈表明用户舒适度和用户与外骨骼之间的同步可能已经起到了不可或缺的作用。进一步的研究应该通过在现实世界中使用更大的参与者来验证我们的初步发现。结合更多样化的参数集以进行人在环优化可以增强个性化的援助策略。
