­While advancements in exoskeletons have grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade or so, the majority still provide powered or active assistance, few provide a passive solution. However, many people have difficulty rising from the ground, bed, a chair or other similar surfaces because of knee or leg muscle injuries, aging, obesity, or even simply...

­Inability to gauge force or loss of sensation in the feet or legs, caused by peripheral neuropathy or diabetes is estimated to affect over 20 million people in the United States. Because walking is inhibited, and trips and falls are more prevalent, this deficiency can have a profound effect on standard of living. While there have been other systems...

As we move, our human strength, speed, and endurance is limited by our bodies’ metabolic constraints. One solution to assist human movement is through the development of exoskeletons. Most designs for exoskeletons apply torque to individual joints. These systems are complex, but they can help humans to carry heavy loads, walk further, jump higher,...

The definition of a battering ram includes a heavy metal bar used to break down walls and doors. Battering rams have been used since ancient times to open closed gates in city walls. A hydraulic jackhammer could be considered a modern battering ram and is used to break concrete or rock. The purpose of a battering ram is to use heavy weight to increase...

Plantar flexion contracture (PFC), a painful condition where the ankle remains in a plantar flexed state, is common in patients who have suffered from traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury or stroke. PFC makes it difficult for patients to walk, reduces their range of motion and causes gait changes. Current treatments for PFC, serial casts made...

Hemiparesis, which is muscle weakness or partial paralysis on one side of the body, affects about 8 out of 10 stroke survivors, resulting in reduced motor performance which can include difficulty walking or grasping items. Gait training has been found to improve muscular strength and movement coordination. While there are many devices to help with lower-limb...

Patients with neurological conditions, particularly stroke patients, often suffer from somatosensory impairment, or loss of feeling, in their hands. Because they can’t gauge the force of their grip, they have difficulty picking up items and may inadvertently crush or drop them, causing embarrassment and reduced quality of life. While there are...

Approximately 1.7 million people in the United States suffer from loss of a limb through amputation. Many of these have lost part of a leg or foot. Walking with a prosthetic requires amputees to expend much more energy than able-bodied individuals. Rigid prosthetics changes the amputee’s gait causing the individual to walk with a dragging motion....