UC Berkeley

There are currently nearly 1.3 million people in the United States who have some form of lower extremity paralysis due to a spinal cord injury (SCI). For many of these subjects, a wheelchair is their primary means of mobility which brings along with it a collection of health complications stemming from extended periods of time in a seated position. To provide these SCI patients with a viable upright mobility option, this work presents the control structure and trajectory generation method for a mobility exoskeleton that allows them to ambulate while reliably generating a gait similar to that of an unimpaired subject. Also included are theoretical extensions to the trajectory generation structure and results from initial rounds of subject testing.