Preliminary design and control of a soft exosuit for assisting elbow movements and hand grasping in activities of daily living:

Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering

MicheleXiloyannis¹ 

关键词: Assistive technology;    exoskeleton;    active orthotics;    rehabilitation devices;    control systems;   

DOI  :  10.1177/2055668316680315

学科分类：工程和技术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

The development of a portable assistive device to aid patients affected by neuromuscular disorders has been the ultimate goal of assistive robots since the late 1960s. Despite significant advances in recent decades, traditional rigid exoskeletons are constrained by limited portability, safety, ergonomics, autonomy and, most of all, cost. In this study, we present the design and control of a soft, textile-based exosuit for assisting elbow flexion/extension and hand open/close. We describe a model-based design, characterisation and testing of two independent actuator modules for the elbow and hand, respectively. Both actuators drive a set of artificial tendons, routed through the exosuit along specific load paths, that apply torques to the human joints by means of anchor points. Key features in our design are under-actuation and the use of electromagnetic clutches to unload the motors during static posture. These two aspects, along with the use of 3D printed components and off-the-shelf fabric materials, co...

【 授权许可】

CC BY