JSI-KneExo

JSI-KneExo – Hybrid Knee Exoskeleton with Adaptive Compliance


JSI-KneExo: Pneumatic exoskeleton joint with integrated air tank and stiffness modulation for energy-efficient knee flexion assistance.

Wearable robots, such as exoskeletons, offer promising solutions for assisting human movement in rehabilitation, industry, and daily life. However, many current designs rely on external compressors or rigid power supplies, which limit their portability and adaptability. Can we develop an exoskeleton joint that is lightweight, self-contained, and capable of modulating stiffness to support dynamic human movement more naturally?

JSI-KneExo explores this question by developing a novel pneumatic knee exoskeleton joint with an integrated air tank and variable stiffness mechanism. Inspired by the balance between compliance and support in biological joints, the system is designed to operate in both active and quasi-passive modes. Its lightweight and self-sufficient design allows for untethered operation, making it suitable for overground walking, sit-to-stand transitions, and low-back strain reduction.

The project aims to advance both the mechanical design and control of hybrid pneumatic–electromechanical systems. By combining experimental testing, system modeling, and intelligent control strategies, JSI-KneExo contributes toward the next generation of energy-efficient, wearable robotic systems for lower-limb assistance.


Publications

Journal Articles

Mišković, Luka; Tricomi, Enrica; Zhang, Xiaohui; Missiroli, Francesco; Krstanović, Kristina; Petrič, Tadej; Masia, Lorenzo

Hybrid Rigid-Soft and Pneumatic-Electromechanical Exoskeleton for Multi-Joint Lower Limb Assistance Journal Article

In: IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 1180-1189, 2024.

Links | BibTeX

Misković, Luka; Dežman, Miha; Petrič, Tadej

Pneumatic Exoskeleton Joint With a Self-Supporting Air Tank and Stiffness Modulation: Design, Modeling, and Experimental Evaluation Journal Article

In: IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, vol. PP, pp. 1–12, 2024, ISSN: 1941014X.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Miskovic, Luka; Deman, Miha; Petric, Tadej

Pneumatic quasi-passive variable stiffness mechanism for energy storage applications Journal Article

In: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, pp. 1-1, 2022.

Links | BibTeX

Proceedings Articles

Mišković, Luka; Dežman, Miha; Petrić, Tadej

Modular quasi-passive mechanism for energy storage applications: towards lightweight high-performance exoskeleton Proceedings Article

In: 2021 20th International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), pp. 588-593, 2021.

Links | BibTeX

Partners

JSI Team

Petrič Tadej30885PI2022-
Mišković Luka54681Junior Researcher2022- 2025
Brecelj Tilen37467Researcher2022-

Founding source


ARRS grant no.: P2-0076