A benchtop biorobotic platform for in vitro observation of muscle-tendon dynamics with parallel mechanical assistance from an elastic exoskeleton

We present a novel biorobotic framework comprised of a biological muscle-tendon unit (MTU) mechanically coupled to a feedback controlled robotic environment simulation that mimics in vivo inertial/gravitational loading and mechanical assistance from a parallel elastic exoskeleton. Using this system, we applied select combinations of biological muscle activation (modulated with rate-coded direct neural stimulation) and parallel elastic assistance (applied via closed-loop mechanical environment simulation) hypothesized to mimic human behavior based on previously published modeling studies. These conditions resulted in constant system-level force-length dynamics (i.e., stiffness), reduced biological loads, increased muscle excursion, and constant muscle average positive power output all consistent with laboratory experiments on intact humans during exoskeleton assisted hopping. Mechanical assistance led to reduced estimated metabolic cost and MTU apparent efficiency, but increased apparent efficiency for the MTU + Exo system as a whole. Findings from this study suggest that the increased natural resonant frequency of the artificially stiffened MTU + Exo system, along with invariant movement frequencies, may underlie observed limits on the benefits of exoskeleton assistance. Our novel approach demonstrates that it is possible to capture the salient features of human locomotion with exoskeleton assistance in an isolated muscle-tendon preparation, and introduces a powerful new tool for detailed, direct examination of how assistive devices affect muscle-level neuromechanics and energetics. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.