Orthotic Robot as a Mechatronic System

Mechatronics is at present a dominating concept of designing machines and devices of various kinds. High speeds of data acquisition and processing achieved by means of microprocessor controllers used in such systems, as well as high dynamics of the actuators applied, make it possible to employ mechatronic devices in quite new fields. This refers to the medical domain as well, and wearable robots are one of the most spectacular examples. They are person-oriented robots that can be defined as devices worn by human operators, whether to enhance the function of a limb or to replace it completely. The authors work on an orthotic robot for disabled people suffering from paresis of lower limbs. In the paper, there is proposed a functional structure of such device as well as review of similar systems under development around the world.