ETH Zürich Course on Exoskeleton Control Using the Auxivo EduExo Pro
- sofiadani3
- Apr 29
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 30
Background
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH), a leading university in technology and engineering, offers a robotics course that examines the principles and applications of wearable exoskeletons. The course, titled “Haptic Control of an Arm Exoskeleton,” is offered by the Sensory-Motor Systems Lab of Prof. Dr. Robert Riener. It is designed for Mechanical Engineering students and includes weekly lab sessions during the semester. Each session accommodates four to six students working in pairs, and the course is offered twelve times per semester, allowing a total of around 60 students to participate. The practical sessions typically last between 2.5 and 3 hours.
For this course, the university selected the Auxivo EduExo Pro to teach exoskeleton control systems. Designed for education and research, this exoskeleton served as the central hardware platform for the course. It enabled students to explore how different control approaches affect user-exoskeleton interaction through hands-on implementation and testing. In doing so, students experienced first-hand both the strengths and limitations of various controllers, deepening their understanding of assistive wearable robotics.
Course Objectives
The course is designed to:
Introduce students to the fundamentals of wearable robotics and human augmentation.
Provide practical experience in programming and controlling exoskeletons.
Foster an understanding of biomechanics and its role in exoskeleton design.
Encourage innovation and problem-solving in the context of human-machine interfaces.
Course Structure
The course combines theoretical content with practical lab sessions, offering a structured approach to learning. Each session begins with a laboratory tour, followed by an introduction to exoskeletons and an overview of the practical tasks. Students first review the provided code independently before starting with the hands-on exercises.
Throughout the session, students work independently, discussing their solutions and troubleshooting potential issues. Instructor support is available when needed. Once all exercises are completed and the code works as intended, students put on the exoskeleton to experience how their implementation behaves when wearing the device. Depending on the outcome, the students further refine their code to account for differences between table-based testing and real-life movement conditions.
Student Exercises
Students solve exercises that are based on real-world challenges in wearable robotics and rehabilitation research.
Transparency Implementation: Using the EduExo Pro’s force sensor and elbow joint motor, an admittance controller is implemented to maintain transparency by compensating for interaction forces.
EMG-Based Motion Assistance: Developing algorithms that use muscle activity data, recorded with the EduExo Pro’s EMG sensor, to support user movements.
Sensor Fusion: Combining force and EMG data to improve system robustness and user support.
The EduExo Pro
The EduExo Pro is a wearable exoskeleton specifically developed for education and research. It is offered as a kit, meaning students can assemble and program it themselves and have access to all its technical inner workings. When fully assembled, it spans the shoulder and elbow joints.
The kit includes a comprehensive handbook that covers a wide range of both theoretical and practical content. The theoretical sections explore topics such as the history of exoskeletons, mechanical and electronic design, anatomy, human–robot interaction, and control theory. The practical sections contain exercises that help consolidate theoretical concepts by applying them in practice right away and exploring real-world limitations. The EduExo Pro is compatible with the open-source Arduino development environments, supporting a wide range of teaching applications.
The EduExo Pro is compatible with the open-source Arduino development environments, supporting a wide range of teaching applications. Its affordability also allows institutions to equip multiple student groups simultaneously, fostering more hands-on experience in classroom settings.
Experimental Setup
For this course, several EduExo Pro units were preassembled, allowing students to concentrate on implementing various control systems. The students were required to program the exoskeleton's microcontroller, read data from multiple sensors, and use this data to control an actuator. As part of this exercise, the following key components of the exoskeleton were introduced and explained in detail to:
Servo Motor: Controls elbow flexion and extension, providing active support.
Force Sensor: Measures interaction forces between the user and the exoskeleton, enabling closed-loop control.
EMG Sensor: Records muscle activity, enabling motion intention recognition.
Arduino Microcontroller: Used to implement control logic and acquire sensor data.
Course Documentation and Supervision
The practical course was supported by a 12-page course script that introduced theoretical foundations, explained control strategies, and guided students through the experimental setup and implementation tasks. This document served as a central reference throughout the session, helping students understand both the technical background and practical procedures. It also included an overview of the hardware, drawing on materials from the EduExo Pro handbook, and provided a partial code framework that students were required to complete to implement various control systems.
Supervision during the sessions was primarily provided by a PhD student with subject matter expertise, assisted by a student tutor. This structure enabled individual guidance, when necessary, while also fostering independent learning and collaborative problem-solving among the student teams.
Outcomes
The integration of real-world hardware into the curriculum through the Auxivo EduExo Pro has supported a project-based, hands-on learning approach. By working with functioning exoskeletons and developing their own control systems, students engage directly with the technical challenges of human-machine interaction. This practical experience complements theoretical knowledge and strengthens students’ problem-solving and technical skills. As a result, the course has delivered:
Improved Learning Experiences: Students gain practical understanding of exoskeleton control, bridging the gap between theory and application.
Skill Development: Graduates leave the course with hands-on expertise in a growing field, preparing them for careers in robotics, healthcare, and related disciplines.
Advantages of Using the EduExo Pro
Implementing the course with the EduExo Pro made the setup comparatively easy, fast, and cost-effective. The system’s open design allowed for an easy integration into the existing curriculum without the need for extensive modifications to the lab infrastructure. The clear documentation and open-source programming environment facilitated rapid deployment, reducing the time required to familiarize students with the hardware. Additionally, the affordability of the EduExo Pro enabled multiple units to be available, ensuring that small student groups could work hands-on with their own devices, maximizing engagement and practical learning opportunities.
“The EduExo Pro provides a great teaching platform and allows us to connect theoretical knowledge with practical experience. The students love it!” - Prof. Dr. Robert Riener, Head of Sensory-Motor Systems Lab ETH Zürich, Professor at ETH Zürich and Balgrist University Hospital, Initiator of the CYBATHLON
If you are interested in using the EduExo Pro in your own teaching, please visit our product website for more information or contact us directly with any inquiries.
