Bilateral asymmetric hip stiffness applied by a robotic hip exoskeleton elicits kinematic and kinetic adaptation

Abstract

Wearable robotic exoskeletons hold great promise for gait rehabilitation as portable, accessible tools. However, a better understanding of the potential for exoskeletons to elicit neural adaptation--a critical component of neurological gait rehabilitation--is needed. In this study, we investigated whether humans adapt to bilateral asymmetric stiffness perturbations applied by a hip exoskeleton, taking inspiration from asymmetry augmentation strategies used in split-belt treadmill training. During walking, we applied torques about the hip joints to repel the thigh away from a neutral position on the left side and attract the thigh toward a neutral position on the right side. Six participants performed an adaptation walking trial on a treadmill while wearing the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton elicited time-varying changes and aftereffects in step length and propulsive/braking ground reaction forces, indicating behavioral signatures of neural adaptation. These responses resemble typical responses to split-belt treadmill training, suggesting that the proposed intervention with a robotic hip exoskeleton may be an effective approach to (re)training symmetric gait.