SUMMARY

The purpose of the study is to explore the biomechanical effects of the torque assistance at the knee joint during slope walking modes using a robotic knee exoskeleton. Many previous studies have investigated the effectiveness of ankle and hip joint powered assistance using robotic exoskeletons in various types of locomotion. However, the knee joint has had very little attention in the research field. In fact, during walking up or down slopes, the knee significantly increases torque generation compared to walking in level-ground. In this study, the biomechanical effectiveness of a robotic knee exoskeleton during slope walking is discussed in terms of energetic cost, muscle activation level, kinematics and kinetics of the users.