Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies for Active Lower Limb Exoskeletons

Abstract

Active exoskeletons are wearable robotic systems used to increase human movement capabilities. Many applications, as rehabilitation and elder care, include close interaction between the active exoskeleton and humans with movement impairments. Still, studies of the overall safety and risk factors of exoskeletons are few. This paper intends to provide a risk-analysis for active lower limb exoskeletons, by taking the into account hazardous situations arising from the device and the operational environment. The focus is the assistance of elderly people with movement impairments as a promising future application. The authors conclude that it is necessary to consider reliability and fault tolerance early in the design of new exoskeleton devices