BALANCE · Balance Augmentation in Locomotion, through Anticipative, Natural and Cooperative control of Exoskeletons.

The goal of this project is to realize an exoskeletal robot that improves the balance performance of humans, targeted at users facing balance-challenging conditions or suffering from a lack of ability to walk or maintain balance during walking. The proposed exoskeleton will know the difference between the onset of a fall and an intentional change of walking pattern, such as a turn, or a step/stair and only when necessary will it act to maintain postural balance. Available exoskeletons lack the ability to correct or assist postural balance and due to size, weight and controls; they often impede balance.The proposed exoskeleton is human-cooperative in the sense that the control of the exoskeleton is complementary to the remaining human control. Depending on application it can either assist only in difficult conditions or in case of erroneous behaviour of the user, or can assist the user maximally. Supported tasks are functional standing and walking, in a clinical, real-life or work environment, including specific actions like turning or stepping on or off an elevation.The basic concept is to understand how human postural control is structured, how and why it functions and is robust in healthy humans, and to use this knowledge to mimic and enhance the postural control through the exoskeleton in a minimally obtrusive manner. BALANCE will study and implement both anticipatory and reactive balancing mechanisms, and implement a 'sense of balance' and 'sense of human motion intentions' through sensor fusion techniques and data analysis. The ultimate goal is to have the exoskeleton seamlessly cooperate with the human, both for healthy and neurologically impaired subjects.A consortium of specialists in exoskeleton hardware development, human motor control, exoskeleton control, adaptive robot control, gait mechanics, biomechanical sensing and balance assessment technology has gathered in BALANCE to achieve these objectives. The exploitation of the results will focus on applications in neurorehabilitation and worker support.