Fig. 7: EAW enhancement figure.

Data points showing changes in exoskeleton-assisted walking (EAW) performance for two participants walking in “Adaptive” mode, a manufacturer setting which adjusts the amount of assistance provided to the user, and thus can result in variability in certain parameters of gait. A–C individual dots represent the average of 300 consecutive steps across 5 separate EAW training sessions for steps per minute, step length, or minimum exoskeleton-provided swing phase assistance (measured as a percentage of the maximum possible assistance the exoskeleton can provide), respectively. Dotted lines represent the average of each 5-session segment. The “Limb movement SCES” segment of each graph show the individual session data (dots and solid lines) and 5-session average (dotted lines) of the last five EAW sessions using four concurrent SCES programs which facilitated flexion or extension movements for each individual leg (configurations shown in panel D). These data are from the last five sessions of a 24-week period of EAW using these configurations. After mapping for supine rhythmic locomotor activity (configurations shown in panel E), improvements are seen in all outcomes for both participants across the first five EAW sessions using this new, single configuration. Increases in steps per minute and step length indicate a faster walking speed, and changes in minimum assistance indicate that the participants achieved said improvements while the exoskeleton provided less assistive torque at the knees and hips during the swing phase of gait. SCES spinal cord epidural stimulation, LLF left leg flexion, RLF right leg flexion, LKE left knee extension, RKE, right knee extension, Hz hertz, µs microseconds. Source data are provided as a Source Data File.