Nervy work for exoskeleton

The ankle exoskeleton developed at U-M was worn by healthy subjects to measure how the device affected ankle function. The U-M team has no plans to build a commercial exoskeleton, but their results suggest promising applications for rehabilitation and physical therapy, and a similar approach could be used by other groups who build such technology.

‘This could benefit stroke patients or patients with incomplete injuries of the spinal cord,’ said Daniel Ferris, associate professor in movement science at U-M. ‘For patients that can walk slowly, a brace like this may help them walk faster and more effectively.’

Ferris and former U-M doctoral student Keith Gordon, who is now a post-doctoral fellow at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, showed that the wearer of the U-M ankle exoskeleton could learn how to walk with the exoskeleton in about 30 minutes. Additionally, the wearer's nervous system retained the ability to control the exoskeleton three days later.