Flexible Lower Limb Exoskeleton Robot for Rehabilitation Training of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Current research on lower limb exoskeleton robots is relatively mature, but existing studies are mostly applicable to adult patients. The population of pediatric patients is also substantial, but there is still a significant gap in the research and application in pediatric diseases rehabilitation. A flexible lower limb exoskeleton robot for pediatric patients with cerebral palsy around 10 years old who suffer from knee valgus and foot inversion is proposed in this paper. By analyzing the system transmission mode, the relationship between the Bowden cable input and output ends is established. Additionally, a kinematic model of the ankle joint is created based on the characteristics of human ankle joint. The relationship between the Bowden cable length and ankle joint angle is derived. Furthermore, a highly integrated control system is designed and an applicable motion control strategy is proposed. Through simulation experiments, the impact of non-completely fixed components on the expected displacement of the Bowden cable is eliminated. Patient wearing experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the exoskeleton robot in clinical settings. The results confirm that the robot can achieve a favorable assistance effect on children’s rehabilitation training.