Preliminary design and control of a soft exosuit for assisting elbow movements and hand grasping in activities of daily living.
Michele Xiloyannis,Leonardo Cappello,Khanh D Binh,Chris Wilson Antuvan,Lorenzo Masia +4 more
- Vol. 4, pp 2055668316680315-2055668316680315
TLDR
Key features in the design are under-actuation and the use of electromagnetic clutches to unload the motors during static posture, contributing to cut down the power requirements, mass and overall cost of the system, making it a more likely candidate for daily use and enlarging its target population.Abstract:
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, contribute to cut down the power requirements, mass and overall cost of the system, making it a more likely candidate for daily use and enlarging its target population. Low-level control is accomplished by a computationally efficient machine learning algorithm that derives the system's model from sensory data, ensuring high tracking accuracy despite the uncertainties deriving from its soft architecture. The resulting system is a low-profile, low-cost and wearable exosuit designed to intuitively assist the wearer in activities of daily living.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Assisting hand function after spinal cord injury with a fabric-based soft robotic glove
Leonardo Cappello,Leonardo Cappello,Jan Meyer,Jan Meyer,Kevin C. Galloway,Kevin C. Galloway,Jeffrey D. Peisner,Jeffrey D. Peisner,Rachael Granberry,Rachael Granberry,Diana Wagner,Diana Wagner,Sven Engelhardt,Sven Engelhardt,Sabrina Paganoni,Conor J. Walsh,Conor J. Walsh +16 more
TL;DR: The results gathered in this study validate the fabric-based soft robotic glove as an effective device to assist hand function in individuals who have suffered upper limb paralysis following a spinal cord injury.
Proceedings ArticleDOI
A soft wearable robot for the shoulder: Design, characterization, and preliminary testing
TL;DR: Preliminary results show large reductions in muscular effort in targeted muscles, demonstrating the feasibility and promise of such a soft wearable robot for the shoulder.
Journal ArticleDOI
Textile Technology for Soft Robotic and Autonomous Garments
Journal ArticleDOI
Physiological and kinematic effects of a soft exosuit on arm movements
TL;DR: A novel wearable exosuit for assistance/augmentation of the elbow is presented and a controller is introduced that compensates for gravitational forces acting on the limb while allowing the suit to cooperatively move with its wearer.
Journal ArticleDOI
Hybrid Rigid-Soft Hand Exoskeleton to Assist Functional Dexterity
Chad G. Rose,Marcia K. O'Malley +1 more
TL;DR: The overall design of the SPAR Glove is summarized, and details of the novel rigid palm bar and hyperextension prevention elements are presented, to characterize the grasp force and range of motion of the glove, and present initial feedback from an end user.
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