A. Sutrisno and D.J. Braun, The Hidden Potential of Energetically Passive Exoskeletons, Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends, Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Wearable Robotics, WeRob2020, and of WearRAcon Europe 2020, pp. 3-5, October 13–16, 2020.
Bicycles have successfully augmented top human movement speed despite supplying no external power or increasing human limb force. This raises the question of what are the fundamental requirements for moving faster when increasing force or supplying external power is not necessary to move faster. This presentation will communicate our recent efforts to develop analytical models to study the fundamental physics of human locomotion, and the development of energetically passive devices that maximize top running speed given the limited force and power of human limbs. We take inspiration from the bicycle, which uses pedals to allow the legs to supply energy continuously instead of intermittently in running.