Affiliations: [a] Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China | [b] University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China | [c] Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Yong He, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China. E-mail: yong.he@siat.ac.cn.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The digital twin concept is the virtual model based on entity design measures, which is used in many enterprises’ virtual workshop design models for workshop production scheduling and optimization. However, in the field of medical rehabilitation, the integration of digital twin technology started late compared to traditional industrial manufacturing. Many current digital models are not well suited for information interaction between patients and devices. OBJECTIVE: In order to address the lack of interaction between patients and devices in the field of medical rehabilitation, this paper proposes an automatic gait data control system (AGDCS) for fully actuated lower limb exoskeleton digital twinning. This system improves the integration of digital twinning system with the medical rehabilitation field and analyzes the patient’s gait data through simulation experiments. METHODS: The digital twin system was designed in several steps. Firstly, the upper computer function module was designed and developed according to the rehabilitation treatment needs. After that, the combination of exoskeleton robot and software was carried out, and finally the real rehabilitation treatment environment of patients was simulated through experiments. RESULTS: The proposed system was very reliable in the experimental tests of the host computer and exoskeleton robot. In the upper computer test, the patient specific gait can be generated, and the motion of the exoskeleton robot can be observed in real-time. During the walking test of the exoskeleton robot, the exoskeleton robot completed the specified gait. The result verified the superiority and effectiveness of the digital twin system AGDCS in the field of rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: The digital twin system proposed in this paper improves the interaction between self-balancing exoskeleton robot and patients, and improves the autonomy and safety of patients in rehabilitation treatment.
Keywords: Digital twin system, walking rehabilitation, lower extremity exoskeleton, robotics
