Alteration of push-off mechanics during walking with different prototype designs of a soft exoskeleton in people with incomplete spinal cord injury : a case series

The push-off is a key factor determining the walking capability. People with impaired function due to incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) have altered biomechanics and are, therefore, at a disadvantage during activities of daily living such as walking. XoSoft is a prototype soft exoskeleton designed to assist during walking. Different generations of XoSoft followed different strategies of tailoring the garment (custom-made vs. one-size fits all). This may result in altered effects on the mechanics of walking. In this study, we assessed two generations of XoSoft with three people with iSCI and focused on the push-off mechanics (ankle kinematics & kinetics) during level walking. The results showed that XoSoft was able to support the gait, but systematic differences between prototype generations were not found. Consequently, a more general approach for the garment design may be feasible.