Design and characterization of a variable-stiffness ankle-foot orthosis.

Background: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are a type of assistive device that can improve the walking ability of individuals with neurological disorders. Adjusting stiffness is a common way to customize settings according to individuals' impairment.

Objective: This study aims to design a variable-stiffness AFO by stiffness module and characterize the AFO stiffness range to provide subject-specific settings for the users.