Optimal Design of an Exoskeleton Hip Using Three-degrees-of-freedom Spherical Mechanism

Abstract— In this paper, the design of a hip joint of an exoskeleton is presented so as to automatically assist the hip joint motion of a physically weak person. A spherical three-degrees-of-freedom parallel mechanism is used for the purpose. The problem is framed as an optimization problem with an objective of determining the proper connection points for the links of the structure at the human body, keeping in account the aspects of self-collision, human anatomy and comfort. The design parameters are optimized for a specific pose and the workspace around this central configuration is built to develop enough mobility required for the human body to attain different postures.