Lower limb exoskeletons (LLEs) are wearable devices that can restore the
movement autonomy of paraplegic users. LLEs can restore the users’
ability to stand upright and walk. However, most of the commercially
available and clinically used LLEs rely on the user maintaining balance
through the use of crutches. Recent improvements in the design and
control of LLEs and other legged robots allow for autonomous balance
control. In this work, we implement and evaluate a momentum-based
standing balance controller in the Symbitron LLE, consisting of eight
active (torque-controlled) and two passive joints. We first investigate
how gain tuning of the center of mass tracking control law, part of a
multi-task optimal controller, affects balancing performance. We apply
pushes on different device locations while in parallel-stance, compare
the response for different gains, and derive heuristic guidelines for
controller tuning given the control architecture, high-level goals, and
hardware limitations. Next, we show how this controller successfully
prescribes joint torques to the LLE to maintain balance with a
paraplegic user. The LLE can autonomously balance the user and reject
mediolateral and anteroposterior pushes in the order of 60 N at hip
height (and 40 N at shoulder height) while standing in parallel-stance,
staggered-stance with both feet at the same height, and staggered-stance
with a height difference of 0.05 m between the feet. This work presents
a viable control strategy for torque-controlled light-weight
under-actuated LLEs to keep the balance of paraplegic users during
stance, which is a necessary starting point towards autonomous balance
control during gait.