Exoskeleton Leg Rehabilitation Device

Leading the way to a more mobile future:

Medical advancements are fast-coming. With newer technologies available daily, universities are exploring ways to breakthrough traditional medical practices. In fact, Columbia University (US) and Beihang University (China) teamed up to find a new approach for mobility rehabilitation.

This project started with understanding the struggles patients and physical therapists faced when tackling recovery, which was lack of immediate range of motion feedback. With a primary objective outlined, the universities dove into research methods to provide physical therapists with this data. The answer: creating a force feedback exoskeleton that patients can wear during their therapy sessions.

Introducing C-ALEX (or Cable-drive Active Leg EXoskeleton), an exoskeleton that allows both the patient and therapist to obtain immediate results on the progression of a patient's range of motion. Predominately used in gait rehabilitation, this exoskeleton is made up of cuffs and cables that simulate the joints and tendons of the patient. Between each cuff/cable combination, FUTEK LSB200 S-Beam load cells measure the force applied to the tendons while the patient performs an exercise. With this force feedback, the physical therapist can gage the rehabilitation rate of his/her patient.

All in all, it's great when ingenuity becomes reality. It's even better when that ingenuity has the potential to improve someone's quality of life. We are happy to be a part of Columbia and Beihang Universities' success.

How it Works

1. The LSB200 JR. S-Beam load cell is mounted inline of the tension wire.

2. The LSB200 load cell will measure tension forces while patient’s legs while walking/moving.

3. Measurement feedback collected from the LSB200 can be used to diagnose the current status of the patient and track future improvements.

4. These measurements can be streamed from the USB220 up to 4,800 samples per second to a PC for data capture and analysis.

5. Or the the load cell outputs can be amplified to a PLC with the IAA Series analog amplifiers.