Compliance Shaping for Control

of Strength Amplification
Exoskeletons with Elastic Cuffs
Gray Cortright Thomas,
Jeremiah M. Coholich,
and Luis Sentis
Exoskeletons
Maximum Transparency

● What does the human feel?

○ Force proportional to acceleration — passive
system
○ Force proportional to velocity — admittance
control
○ Force proportional to acceleration but with a
tiny mass constant? — this paper.
Reasons to Read This Paper

Seven-systems model

Transmission disturbance observer

Double compliance shaping

Flexible cuffs improve passivity

Exoskeleton Hardware (Apptronik
Systems)

a) Series spring

b) Belt to ball screw

transmission

c) Loading weight
attachment

d) Calibrated flexure spring

e) 6-axis force/torque sensor

f) Human interface

g) Elbow rest (optional)

Series Elastic Actuator, Series Elastic
Cuff
Amplification is a Ratio of Compliances

Exoskeleton motion : x(s).

Human-side compliance and force: Ch(s), fh(s).
Environmental-side compliance and force: Ce(s), fe(s).
x(s) = Ch(s) fh(s) + Ce(s) fe(s),
Steady State, x(s)=0,
fe(s) = -Ch(s)/Ce(s) fh(s).
● Approach
○ Make Ch(s) big (transparent), then reduce Ce(s)
○ Add a spring K to make (Ch(s)+1/K) quasi-
passive
Compliance Shape Design
Amplification Results