Low-volume inflatable actuator composites for wearable applications and portable pneumatic source

A wearable exoskeleton comprising:

• a portable pneumatic source configured to be wearable by a person, the portable pneumatic source comprising:
• a controller,
• a pneumatic compressor comprising a cylinder, a piston, a first chamber, and a second chamber,
• an electric motor configured to move the piston between a first piston position and a second piston position, and
• a first valve in fluid communication with the pneumatic compressor, the first valve configured to move between a first valve position and a second valve position;
• an inflatable actuator comprising a first paddle, a second paddle, and an inflatable fabric coupled between the first paddle and the second paddle,
• wherein the first paddle and the second paddle each include a first half defined by a first flange and a first arcuate flange and a second half defined by a second flange and a second arcuate flange, the first flange and the second flange extending away from the first arcuate flange and the second arcuate flange in a direction such that the first half and the second half comprise opposing concave surfaces defined by the first arcuate flange and the second arcuate flange, the opposing concave surfaces defining a cavity,
• wherein the inflatable fabric includes a fabric lined with a film layer to hermetically seal the fabric, the fabric including one or more sheets of material connected at peripheral edges to form a single chamber of the inflatable fabric, wherein the inflatable fabric is in fluid communication with the pneumatic compressor, wherein the first paddle is configured to be directly coupled to an upper portion of a leg, and wherein the second paddle is configured to be coupled directly to a lower portion of the leg, and
• wherein a first portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed within the cavity of the first paddle, a second portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed within the cavity of the second paddle, and an intermediate portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the inflatable fabric;
• and
• a shoe comprising one or more human motion monitoring sensors coupled thereto, the one or more human monitoring sensors in electronic communication with the controller, wherein:
• the controller is configured to cause the pneumatic compressor to move a compressed air with the first valve into the inflatable fabric to adjust an angle of the first paddle with respect to the second paddle based upon a gait pattern based on data received from the one or more human motion monitoring sensors.