WalkON Suit: A Medalist in the Powered Exoskeleton Race of Cybathlon 2016

Abstract

The powered exoskeleton race in Cybathlon 2016 consisted of six challenging tasks that required a pilot with complete paraplegia to walk on a level floor, uphill, downhill, and on stairs; stand up and sit down; step on stones; and even pass through a tilted path. All of these tasks addressed exactly the requirements for a powered exoskeleton designed to assist with activities of daily living (ADL) for paraplegics. Every team brought unique technologies to achieve this goal. Team SG Mechatronics, a bronze medalist in the race, developed a powered exoskeleton called the WalkON Suit to participate in Cybathlon 2016. To accomplish all the tasks, the WalkON Suit was developed based on several special design and control technologies, such as a hybrid actuation mechanism, a biarticular transmission system, distributed batteries, and distributed actuators. In this article, the overall production of the WalkON Suit is discussed.