Simulation-guided design of exotendons to reduce the energetic cost of running

A passive device that attaches to the feet, called an exotendon, can reduce the energetic cost of running at moderate speeds, but its efficacy and optimal design parameters at higher speeds are unknown. Identifying optimal parameters at new speeds experimentally would require many experimental trials with different exotendon designs, which is challenging for participants at higher running speeds. We developed a muscle-driven simulation framework to predict the effect of various exotendon designs on the energetic cost of running at an experimentally untested speed (4 m/s). We used these predictions to select four designs, which we evaluated experimentally as users ran at this speed. The framework correctly predicted that an exotendon that reduced energetic cost at 2.7 m/s would also reduce energetic cost at 4 m/s (10% predicted vs. 5.7% measured) and that a short, stiff exotendon and a long, compliant exotendon would not significantly reduce energetic cost. However, exotendon parameters predicted by the simulation to maximize energetic savings did not significantly reduce energetic cost when evaluated experimentally. There was variability between participants in both the magnitude of maximum energy savings and the exotendon condition associated with those savings. In a 5-km time trial performed with and without the exotendon condition that elicited the largest energy savings for each participant during the experiment, we observed a lower average heart rate (-3.9 {+/-} 3.8 beats/min; P=0.03; mean {+/-} standard deviation) and increased cadence (15.9 {+/-} 9.6 steps/min; P=0.002) when participants ran with the exotendon but did not observe a statistically significant difference in finishing time (-13.5 {+/-} 24.6 sec; P=0.3). These results demonstrate exotendons can reduce energetic cost across multiple running speeds and that predictive simulations provide a framework for guiding experiments to evaluate assistive device designs. Author summaryDesigning assistive devices that help people move more efficiently usually requires many experimental trials. These studies can be time-consuming and physically demanding, especially when testing multiple device designs. In this study, we explored whether computer simulations could help guide the design of an assistive device for running called an exotendon. The exotendon is a simple elastic band that connects the feet and can help runners use less energy. Previous experiments showed that the device reduces the energy needed to run at moderate speeds, but it was unclear whether it would also work at faster speeds or which design would lead to energetic savings. We first used simulations of human running to test many possible exotendon designs at a faster speed. These simulations allowed us to identify promising designs before conducting experiments. We then tested a small number of these designs with runners. The experiments confirmed that the exotendon can reduce the energy required to run at faster speeds, although the efficacy of different designs varied between individuals. Our results show that computer simulations can help researchers rapidly evaluate a variety of assistive device ideas and focus experimental testing on the most promising designs.