A Hierarchical Control Scheme for Active Power-assist Lower-limb Exoskeletons

Effectively controlling active power-assist lower-limb exoskeletons in a human-in-the-loop manner poses a substantial challenge, demanding an approach that ensures wearer autonomy while seamlessly adapting to diverse wearer needs. This paper introduces a novel hierarchical control scheme comprising five integral components: intention recognition layer, dynamics feedforward layer, force distribution layer, feedback compensation layer, as well as sensors and actuators. The intention recognition layer predicts the wearer’s movement and enables wearer-dominant movement through integrated force and position sensors. The force distribution layer effectively resolves the statically indeterminate problem in the context of double-foot support, showcasing flexible control modes. The dynamics feedforward layer mitigates the effect of the exoskeleton itself on movement. Meanwhile, the feedback compensation layer provides reliable closed-loop control. This approach mitigates abrupt changes in joint torques during frequent transitions between swing and stance phases by decomposed dynamics. Validating this innovative hierarchical control scheme on a hydraulic exoskeleton platform through a series of experiments, the results demonstrate its capability to deliver assistance in various modes such as stepping, squatting, and jumping while adapting seamlessly to different terrains.