BALANCE
Biomechanical Assistive Legs with Advanced Navigation and Control Engineering
The problem
Mobility isn't binary. Most assistive devices — wheelchairs, walkers, canes — solve one narrow stage of mobility loss, can accelerate muscle atrophy, and don't adapt across terrain. Meanwhile the aging population and the gap between lifespan and health-span are both growing.
Between aids and exoskeletons
BALANCE is a hybrid robotic mobility device positioned between simple aids and complex exoskeletons, supporting users across the full continuum of mobility with partial-to-full assistance.
Two subsystems
Assistive Leg Framework
A dual wheeled-and-leg mobility frame that provides structural support and isolates shocks — wheeled movement on flat ground, robotic-leg assistance on stairs and uneven or narrow terrain.
Adaptive Control & Navigation Suite
LiDAR, sonar, 360° cameras, and on-board computing for real-time mapping and navigation.
- Collapsible hip-centric modular frame
- Biometric monitoring
- Lithium battery management
- User interface for adjustable assistance levels
Signal path — sense, map, arbitrate, assist
On-board perception continuously reclassifies terrain and hands control to the right locomotion mode in real time.
Input · sensing
LiDAR
depth · ranging
Sonar
near-field
360° cameras
visual field
Perception · compute
On-board compute
Real-time mappingTerrain classificationGait & path planning
Control
Mode arbitration
Structural supportShock isolation
Output · locomotion
Wheeled base
flat ground
Robotic-leg assist
stairs · uneven terrain
Published · Youth Innovation Journal, Fall 2025
Where it stands
The system was filed as provisional patent No. 63/743,085. A related article describing the BALANCE design was published in the Youth Innovation Journal (Fall 2025). Co-developed with a student team.