Development of Passive Lower Back Exoskeletons

Abstract

The design of two passive back lift assist exoskeletons are presented in this thesis. The first exoskeleton uses carbon fiber as an energy storage medium while the second system utilizes a series system comprised of a gas spring and metal coil spring. The first exoskeleton was successfully tested long term in a warehouse environment and in laboratory experiments. From these tests and feedback from wearers several drawbacks to the design were discovered. Version two of the exoskeleton successfully addresses these concerns.