Significance and Use
5.1 Exoskeletons are being used in the industrial/occupational, military, response, medical, and recreational sectors to enhance safety and effectiveness of the user to perform tasks. Gait is a component of many tasks that someone would do with an exoskeleton. For example, an exoskeleton may be used to help rehabilitate a patient who suffered a traumatic leg injury. In manufacturing, warehousing, military, and other similar environments, workers and soldiers in exoskeletons walk with and without carrying loads, many times over long distances, indoors or outdoors, as part of their daily activities. Fig. 1 shows examples of exoskeleton users walking, which, depending upon the task, may require people to traverse various ground surfaces while wearing an exoskeleton. The testing results of exoskeletons shall describe, in a statistically significant way, how reliably the exoskeleton is able to support tasks within the specified types of environments, confinements, and terrains, and thus provide sufficiently high levels of confidence to determine the applicability of the exoskeleton to a given task.
FIG. 1 Examples of Exoskeleton Users Walking in Various Sectors
Note 1: Examples include: (a) medical rehabilitation (courtesy Gogoa), (b) military material handling (courtesy Mawashi), (c) military soldiering (courtesy Mawashi), (d) recreational hiking through snow and (e) walking on pavement as part of daily work duties (courtesy Humotech), and (f) industrial worker standing up from a chair prior to walking (courtesy SuitX).
5.2 This test method addresses exoskeleton safety and performance requirements expressed by manufacturing, emergency responders, military, or other organizations requesting this test. The safety and performance data captured within this test method are indicative of the test exoskeleton’s and the exoskeleton user’s capabilities. Having available direct information from tested exoskeleton(s) with associated performance data to guide procurement and deployment decisions is essential for exoskeleton purchasers and users.
5.3 The standard test setup and apparatus (see Section 6) is specified to be easily fabricated to facilitate self-evaluation and replication of gait tests by exoskeleton designers, developers, manufacturers, and users. The standard test setup and apparatus can also be used to support training and establish proficiency of exoskeleton users, as well as provide manufacturers with information about the usefulness of their exoskeleton(s) for tasks.
5.4 Although the test method was developed for the sectors listed in 5.1, it may be applicable to other operational domains.
Scope
1.1 Purpose:
1.1.1 The purpose of this test method, as a part of a suite of exoskeleton use test methods, is to quantitatively evaluate an exoskeleton’s (see Terminology F3323) safety (see 1.4) or performance, or both, for gait.
1.1.2 Exoskeletons shall possess a certain set of allowable exoskeleton user movement capabilities, including user-motion adaptability, to suit operations such as: industrial/occupational, military, response, medical or recreational. Environments in these typical sectors often pose constraints to exoskeleton user movement to various degrees. Being able to walk, as intended by the user or test requestor, while using an exoskeleton is essential for exoskeleton deployment for a variety of tasks. This test method specifies test setup, procedure, and recording to standardize this gait task for testing exoskeleton user movement.
1.1.3 Exoskeletons shall be able to handle many types of task and terrain complexities. The required movement capabilities include, for example: walking, running, crawling, climbing, traversing gaps, hurdles, stairs, slopes, various types of floor surfaces or terrains, and confined spaces. Standard test methods are required to evaluate whether or not exoskeletons meet these requirements.
1.1.4 ASTM Subcommittee F48.03 develops and maintains international standards for task performance and environmental considerations that include but are not limited to, standards for safety, quality, and efficiency. This subcommittee aims to develop standards for any exoskeleton application, as exemplified as in 1.1.2. The F48.03 test suite consists of a set of test methods for evaluating exoskeleton capability requirements. This gait test method is a part of the test suite. The setup, procedure, and apparatuses associated with the test methods challenge specific exoskeleton capabilities in repeatable ways to facilitate comparison of different exoskeleton models or exoskeleton capabilities to tasks. Not all exoskeletons may have the capabilities needed to use this test method.
1.1.5 This test method tests for generic gait exoskeleton capability, with straight paths and no test course curves, obstacles, or other complexities not described herein (see 4.6). This test method is considered the basis for exoskeleton gait capability testing.
1.1.6 The test methods quantify elemental exoskeleton use capabilities necessary for sector applications listed in 1.1.2, and perhaps others. As such, users of this standard should use either the entire suite or a subset based on their particular requirements. Users are also allowed to weight particular test methods or particular metrics within a test method differently based on their specific requirements. The testing results should collectively represent an exoskeleton’s overall safety or performance, or both, as required for the task. These performance data can be used: to guide procurement specifications, for acceptance testing, and for training to use exoskeletons intended for specified applications.
Note 1: Additional test methods within the suite are anticipated to be developed to address additional exoskeleton capability requirements, including newly identified requirements and even for new application domains.
1.2 Performing Location—This test method shall be performed in a testing laboratory or at a site that represents the place where the exoskeleton will be used.
1.3 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are not precise mathematical conversions to inch-pound units. They are close approximate equivalents for the purpose of specifying material dimensions or quantities that are readily available to avoid excessive fabrication costs of test apparatuses while maintaining repeatability and reproducibility of the test method results. These values given in parentheses are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
