Wearable lower limb robotics: A review

Owing to the recent progress in the field of supportive robotic technologies, interest in the area of active orthoses and exoskeletons has increased rapidly. The first attempts to create such devices took place 40 years ago. Although many solutions have been found since then, many challenges still remain. Works concerning the lower extremities and active orthoses are listed and described in this paper. The research conducted and commercially available devices are presented, and their actuation, hardware, and movements they make possible are described. In addition, possible challenges and improvements are outlined.