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Abstract

Assistive technologies and particularly wearable exoskeletons offer immense potential in aiding individuals with musculoskeletal impairments, as well as reducing the risks of occupational hazards. Despite recent technological advancements, the optimization of human-exoskeleton interactions still remains a challenge with regards to ensuring comfort, safety and transparency between the user and the device. This thesis addresses these challenges by investigating how to provide optimal biomechanical support while ensuring user acceptance and comfort. The work is anchored in two distinct yet interrelated projects: the SPEXOR project, focusing on back-support exoskeletons to prevent low back pain, and the HeiAge project, aimed at facilitating mobility in older adults through lower-limb exoskeletons.

In the context of the SPEXOR project, optimization and optimal control techniques, combined with musculoskeletal modeling, were employed to design back-support exoskeletons that minimize lumbar loads during lifting. The approach integrates human biomechanics into exoskeleton design, accounting for lumbar torque reduction and user comfort constraints. The results demonstrate that optimized torque profiles can effectively reduce cumulative and peak low back loads, improving ergonomic safety in occupational settings.

The HeiAge project extends this work by examining how users adapt to exoskeletons and by developing a mobile, modular sensory system to overcome the limitations of traditional motion capture technologies. By extending the applications of biomechanical analysis to outdoor evaluations, this system broadens the reach of exoskeleton testing and aims to provide applications for technology transfer to diverse populations such as older adults. Biomechanical metrics were used to quantify familiarization, providing insightful outcomes into early detection of adaptation and motor learning, critical for exoskeleton applications in real-world settings.

The thesis makes several key contributions, including the development of tailored torque profiles for back-support exoskeletons, the creation of a modular sensory system for real-world applications, and the quantification of familiarization and adaptation processes. These findings enhance the understanding of human-exoskeleton interactions, bringing together laboratory research and real-world applications.

This research highlights the importance of a multifold approach in designing exoskeletons that combines biomechanical evaluation, simulation, and user adaptation studies. The combination of the SPEXOR and HeiAge projects highlights the potential of developing intuitive and effective exoskeletons, thus facilitating broader technology adaptation and improving the quality of life for a wide range of users.