Design of a Novel Powered Exoskeleton for Human Jump Augmentation

Abstract

Design of powered exoskeletons have typically focused on walking assistance, load carriage, and restoring lost functionality. This research presents the design of a novel powered exoskeleton for jumping assistance. The exoskeleton has a total mass of 24~kg (55~lb) and is capable of providing an additional 5000~N of launch force, allowing users to achieve vertical jump heights exceeding 2 meters. Force transmission is achieved through a prismatic linear actuator connected to a variety of soft goods to transfer forces to the user's center of mass. The underactuated exoskeleton utilizes a single motor per leg store energy in high-strain elastic and release the energy during launch. Modeling of jumping forces, results from material testing, and mechanical design analysis are presented. Encoders, inertial measurement units, and time of flight sensors are implemented alongside multiple microcontrollers and robust communication protocols to estimate system state and control actuation. Preliminary test results of a manufactured system are presented for design validation. The work establishes a test bed for further jumping biomechanics analysis, including landing from high falls and further advances in powered jumping.