Exciting news from our team!

We have developed a modular test rig for the evaluation of shoulder exoskeletons.
This system allows us to systematically measure the supportive torque of a shoulder exoskeleton to the human user. Using a force-torque sensor, a position encoder and controlled motion profiles, the test rig is able to generate torque curves based on parameters such as joint angle, angular velocity and acceleration.

What does this mean in practice?
In static tests, we can see how much torque an exoskeleton delivers in different positions.
In dynamic tests, we analyse the performance under different accelerations and record how reliably the device supports movements in real life.
The results underline the validity, repeatability and reliability between different users, which are crucial for a fair comparison between devices.

Why is this useful?
A test bench like this enables:
- The evaluation of both passive exoskeletons (which usually do not have integrated monitoring) and active systems such as the exoIQ S700
- The system also enables live monitoring and visualisation
- Generation of high-quality data that can be used in biomechanical simulations as well as to validate simulation results

In short: This test bench helps us to better understand how exoskeletons support human movement and bridges the gap between simulation and reality.

We are excited about the possibilities this opens up and look forward to pushing it further!