Exoskeleton fit evaluation system and method

A method of performing a static fit test on a wearable pneumatic exoskeleton system coupled to a user:

• coupling the wearable pneumatic exoskeleton to legs of a user, the wearable pneumatic exoskeleton comprising:
• a left and right pneumatic leg actuator unit respectively associated with a left and right leg of the user, the left and right pneumatic actuator units each including:
• a rotatable joint configured to be aligned with a rotational axis of a knee of the user wearing the pneumatic exoskeleton system,
• an upper arm coupled to the rotatable joint and extending along a length of an upper leg portion above the knee of the user wearing the pneumatic exoskeleton system,
• a lower arm coupled to the rotatable joint and extending along a length of a lower leg portion below the knee of the user wearing the pneumatic exoskeleton system, and
• an inflatable bellows actuator defining a bellows cavity, the inflatable bellows actuator configured to extend along a length of the bellows actuator when pneumatically inflated by introducing pneumatic fluid into the bellows cavity and configured to actuate the upper arm and lower arm;
• a pneumatic system configured to introduce pneumatic fluid to the bellows actuators of the pneumatic leg actuator units to independently actuate the bellows actuators, and
• an exoskeleton computing device including:
• a plurality of sensors,
• a memory storing at least a static fit test program, and
• a processor configured to execute the static fit test program to control the pneumatic system;
• and
• executing the static fit test program by the processor to cause the exoskeleton device to:
• generate a static fit testing position indication instructing the user to assume a seated position with the knees of the user in a bent position;
• determining that the user has assumed the seated position with the knees of the user in a suitable bent position;
• determining a first configuration of the upper arm and lower arm of the right pneumatic leg actuator unit while the right pneumatic leg actuator is in an un-actuating state, the determining of the first configuration based at least in part on data obtained from a subset of the plurality of sensors;
• actuating the right pneumatic leg actuator unit with the user remaining in the seated position with the knees of the user in the suitable bent position;
• determining a second configuration of the upper arm and lower arm of the right pneumatic leg actuator unit generated in response to the actuating the right pneumatic leg actuator unit, the determining of the second configuration based at least in part on data obtained from the subset of the plurality of sensors;
• determining a change in configuration based at least in part on a difference between the first and second configuration;
• determining that the change in configuration corresponds to an improper fit of the right pneumatic leg actuator unit to the right leg of the user;
• and
• generating an improper fit indication that indicates improper fit of the right pneumatic leg actuator unit to the right leg of the user.