Evaluation of Biomimetic Assist Suits on Cross-Slope Walking

In cross-slope walking, gait differs between uphill and downhill slopes. Furthermore, because ankle sprains and other injuries are more likely to occur during cross-slope walking, assistance is required to prevent falls, ankle joint sprains, and the removal of load from the muscles involved in knee joint motion. This assistance differs between uphill and downhill slope walking. We developed biomimetic assist suits (BAS) by combining a semi-active knee joint, which assists knee joint motion, and dual axial ankle supporter, which assists ankle motion. BAS was developed to provide knee and ankle support during cross-slope walking. A walking experiment with 14 participants was conducted to verify the effectiveness of BAS. The experimental results showed that BAS could reduce the difference between the maximum and minimum angles in inversion/eversion and plantar dorsiflexion during the swing phase, protecting the ankle joint, limiting the ankle joint angle in the elastic connector, and adjusting the assisting direction mechanism.