Exoskeleton continuous-use fit evaluation system and method

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

• coupling the wearable pneumatic exoskeleton system to legs of a user, the wearable pneumatic exoskeleton system 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 moving fit test program, and
• a processor configured to execute the moving fit test program to control the pneumatic system;
• and
• executing the moving fit test program by the processor to cause pneumatic exoskeleton system to:
• generate a moving fit testing position indication instructing the user to perform or prepare to perform one or more movements for the moving fit test;
• determining that the user has assumed an initial moving fit test dynamic stance phase;
• actuating the left and right pneumatic leg actuator units while the user is performing the one or more movements for the moving fit test;
• determining a first configuration of the upper arm and lower arms of the left and right pneumatic leg actuator units generated in response to the actuating the left and right pneumatic leg actuator unit while the user is performing the one or more movements for the moving fit test, the determining of the first configuration based at least in part on data obtained from one or more of the plurality of sensors;
• determining a change from the first configuration of the upper arm and lower arm of the left and right pneumatic leg actuator units while the user is performing the one or more movements for the moving fit test, the determining based at least in part on data obtained from one or more of the plurality of sensors;
• determining that the change from the first configuration corresponds to an improper fit of at least one of the left and right pneumatic leg actuator units coupled to the legs of the user;
• and
• generating an improper fit indication that indicates improper fit of at least one of the left and right pneumatic leg actuator units coupled to the legs of the user.