No abstract

Wearable robotics are prevalent in the medical domain for prosthetic and rehabilitation uses, and those for performance augmentation of able bodied people for industrial and military domains are also on the rise. Some common metrics exist for evaluating these systems, such as metabolic cost, but they are incomplete with regards to the many other characteristics to be compared between systems. To this end, we are developing holistic test methods, specifically those for lower body wearable robots focused on performance augmentation. We discuss the test methods' structure, considerations, and development. Prototypes of the test methods have been exercised with a user wearing a B-Temia Dermoskeleton system. Our initial development has led to a baseline set of basic and applied tasks that can be evaluated comparatively between performing the task without and with the system, measuring simple task-based metrics based on time, repetitions, loading capacity, and range of motion. Future work includes exercising the test methods with more wearable robotic systems and formulating a working task group to assist in driving development.