Wearable robots have been growing exponentially during the past years and it is crucial to quantify the performance effectiveness and to convert them into practical benchmarks. Although there exist some common metrics such as metabolic cost, many other characteristics still needs to be presented and demonstrated. In this study, we developed an integrated evaluation (IE) approach of wearable exoskeletons of lower limb focusing on human performance augmentation. We proposed a novel classification of trial tasks closely related to exoskeleton functions, which were divided into three categories, namely, basic trial at the preliminary phase, semi-reality trial at the intermediate phase, and reality trial at the advanced phase. In the present study, the IE approach has been exercised with a subject who wore an active power-assisted knee (APAK) exoskeleton with three types of trial tasks, including walking on a treadmill at a certain angle, walking up and down on three-step stairs, and ascending in 11-storey stairs. Three wearable conditions were carried out in each trial task, i.e. with unpowered exoskeleton, with powered exoskeleton, and without the exoskeleton. Nine performance indicators (PIs) for evaluating performance effectiveness were adopted basing on three aspects of goal-level, task-based kinematics, and human–robot interactions. Results indicated that compared with other conditions, the powered APAK exoskeleton make generally lesser heart rate (HR), Metabolic equivalent (METs), biceps femoris (BF) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles activation of the subject at the preliminary phase and intermediate phase, however, with minimal performance augmentation at advanced phase, suggesting that the APAK exoskeleton is not suitable for marketing and should be further improved. In the future, continuous iterative optimization for the IE approach may help the robot community to attain a comprehensive benchmarking methodology for robot-assisted locomotion more efficiently.

可穿戴机器人在过去几年呈指数级增长，量化性能有效性并将其转化为实际基准至关重要。尽管存在一些通用指标，例如代谢成本，但仍有许多其他特征需要展示和论证。在这项研究中，我们开发了一种下肢可穿戴外骨骼的综合评估 (IE) 方法，专注于增强人体性能。我们提出了一种新的与外骨骼功能密切相关的试验任务分类，分为三类，即初级阶段的基本试验、中间阶段的半现实试验和高级阶段的现实试验。在目前的研究中，IE 方法已针对佩戴主动助力膝关节 (APAK) 外骨骼的受试者进行了三种类型的试验任务，包括以特定角度在跑步机上行走、在三步楼梯上上下行走以及上升在 11 层楼的楼梯上。在每个试验任务中执行三种可穿戴条件，即无动力外骨骼、有动力外骨骼和没有外骨骼。基于目标级别、基于任务的运动学和人机交互三个方面，采用了用于评估性能有效性的九个性能指标 (PI)。结果表明，与其他条件相比，动力 APAK 外骨骼通常使心率 (HR)、代谢当量 (MET)、受试者在初级阶段和中期阶段的股二头肌 (BF) 和股直肌 (RF) 肌肉激活，然而，在晚期阶段性能增强极小，表明 APAK 外骨骼不适合营销，应进一步改进。未来，对 IE 方法的持续迭代优化可能有助于机器人社区更有效地获得机器人辅助运动的综合基准测试方法。