Powered robotic exoskeletons used to assist in human locomotion require a lot of energy. The Walking Assist Machine Using Crutches (WAMC) is such an exoskeleton used to assist paraplegic people in walking. It uses telescopic links driven by linear actuators with electro motors and people wearing the device move crutches themselves. An evaluation was done to see if the implementation of springs could lead to a reduction in required motor energy. A computer simulation calculating the movement of such a configuration with springs indeed showed a reduction in required motor energy and also effected in a higher walking speed. The user had to spend more effort to swing the crutches.

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