Showing papers on "Exoskeleton Device published in 2014"
TL;DR: Qualitative findings indicated that health and physical benefits, use for activity and access reasons, and psychosocial benefits were important considerations in whether to use or recommend an exoskeleton.
Abstract: Background: Exoskeleton technology has potential benefits for wheelchair users’ health and mobility. However, there are practical barriers to their everyday use as a mobility device. To further understand potential exoskeleton use, and facilitate the development of new technologies, a study was undertaken to explore perspectives of wheelchair users and healthcare professionals on reasons for use of exoskeleton technology, and the importance of a variety of device characteristics. Methods: An online survey with quantitative and qualitative components was conducted with wheelchair users and healthcare professionals working directly with individuals with mobility impairments. Respondents rated whether they would use or recommend an exoskeleton for four potential reasons. Seventeen design features were rated and compared in terms of their importance. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to categorize the 17 design features into meaningful groupings. Content analysis was used to identify themes for the open ended questions regarding reasons for use of an exoskeleton. Results: 481 survey responses were analyzed, 354 from wheelchair users and 127 from healthcare professionals. The most highly rated reason for potential use or recommendation of an exoskeleton was health benefits. Of the design features, 4 had a median rating of very important: minimization of falls risk, comfort, putting on/taking off the device, and purchase cost. Factor analysis identified two main categories of design features: Functional Activities and Technology Characteristics. Qualitative findings indicated that health and physical benefits, use for activity and access reasons, and psychosocial benefits were important considerations in whether to use or recommend an exoskeleton. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of developing future exoskeletons that are comfortable, affordable, minimize fall risk, and enable functional activities. Findings from this study can be utilized to inform the priorities for future development of this technology.
99 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a parallel-elastic exoskeleton is presented that introduces a clutch to disengage the parallel leg-spring and thereby not constrain swing-phase movements of the biological leg.
Abstract: Because the leg is known to exhibit springlike behavior during the stance phase of running, several exoskeletons have attempted to place external springs in parallel with some or all of the leg during stance, but these designs have failed to permit natural kinematics during swing. To this end, a parallel-elastic exoskeleton is presented that introduces a clutch to disengage the parallel leg-spring and thereby not constrain swing-phase movements of the biological leg. A custom interference clutch with integrated planetary gear transmission, made necessary by the requirement for high holding torque but low mass, is presented and shown to withstand up to 190 N m at 1.8 deg resolution with a mass of only 710 g. A suitable control strategy for locking the clutch at peak knee extension is also presented, where only an onboard rate gyroscope and exoskeletal joint encoder are employed as sensory inputs. Exoskeletal electromechanics, sensing, and control are shown to achieve design critieria necessary to emulate biological knee stiffness behaviors in running. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4027841]
60 citations
02 Nov 2014
TL;DR: The X1, NASA's powered robotic lower limb exoskeleton, is introduced as a potential diagnostic, assistive, and therapeutic tool for stroke rehabilitation.
Abstract: Stroke remains a leading cause of disability, limiting independent ambulation in survivors, and consequently affecting quality of life (QOL). Recent technological advances in neural interfacing with robotic rehabilitation devices are promising in the context of gait rehabilitation. Here, the X1, NASA's powered robotic lower limb exoskeleton, is introduced as a potential diagnostic, assistive, and therapeutic tool for stroke rehabilitation. Additionally, the feasibility of decoding lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics during walking with the X1 from scalp electroencephalographic (EEG) signals--the first step towards the development of a brain-machine interface (BMI) system to the X1 exoskeleton--is demonstrated.
55 citations
19 Dec 2014
TL;DR: The MAHI Exo-II has undergone a static and dynamic performance characterization, which shows that it exhibits the requisite qualities for a rehabilitation robot and is comparable to other state-of-the-art designs.
Abstract: This paper presents the performance characterization of the MAHI Exo-II, an upper extremity exoskeleton for stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, as a means to validate its clinical implementation and to provide depth to the literature on the performance characteristics of upper extremity exoskeletons. Individuals with disabilities arising from stroke and SCI need rehabilitation of the elbow, forearm, and wrist to restore the ability to independently perform activities of daily living (ADL). Robotic rehabilitation has been proposed to address the need for high intensity, long duration therapy and has shown promising results for upper limb proximal joints. However, upper limb distal joints have historically not benefitted from the same focus. The MAHI Exo-II, designed to address this shortcoming, has undergone a static and dynamic performance characterization, which shows that it exhibits the requisite qualities for a rehabilitation robot and is comparable to other state-of-the-art designs.
34 citations
TL;DR: Results show that this method properly estimates the limb posture to animate avatars that represent the patient in VR games and obtain kinematic data for the patient assessment during elbow and wrist analytic rehabilitation.
Abstract: New motor rehabilitation therapies include virtual reality (VR) and robotic technologies. In limb rehabilitation, limb posture is required to (1) provide a limb realistic representation in VR games and (2) assess the patient improvement. When exoskeleton devices are used in the therapy, the measurements of their joint angles cannot be directly used to represent the posture of the patient limb, since the human and exoskeleton kinematic models differ. In response to this shortcoming, we propose a method to estimate the posture of the human limb attached to the exoskeleton. We use the exoskeleton joint angles measurements and the constraints of the exoskeleton on the limb to estimate the human limb joints angles. This paper presents (a) the mathematical formulation and solution to the problem, (b) the implementation of the proposed solution on a commercial exoskeleton system for the upper limb rehabilitation, (c) its integration into a rehabilitation VR game platform, and (d) the quantitative assessment of the method during elbow and wrist analytic training. Results show that this method properly estimates the limb posture to (i) animate avatars that represent the patient in VR games and (ii) obtain kinematic data for the patient assessment during elbow and wrist analytic rehabilitation.
31 citations
02 Oct 2014
TL;DR: This work proposes an alternative method utilizing force myography (FMG) instead of the sEMG for controlling a forearm pronation/supination exoskeleton and shows the system was able to predict the position of the forearm using the proposed method with 98.36% and 96.19% of accuracy.
Abstract: In the field of robotic rehabilitation, surface electromyography (sEMG) has been proposed for controlling exoskeleton device for assisting different movements of the human joints, such as the shoulder, the elbow, the wrist and the fingers. However, few works have been proposed for using sEMG to control a forearm exoskeleton for assisting the movement of pronation and supination. The main difficulty for employing the sEMG control approach is the low signal to noise ratio of the pronator and supinator muscle group. To overcome this difficulty, we propose an alternative method utilizing force myography (FMG) instead of the sEMG for controlling a forearm pronation/supination exoskeleton. An easy setup strap with an array of force sensors was developed to capture the forearm FMG signal. The FMG signal was processed and classified using the state-of-art machine learning algorithm — Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) to predict the forearm position. The prediction results can be used to control a forearm pronation/supination exoskeleton. A bilateral experiment with two protocols was designed to demonstrate one of the potential applications of the proposed system, as well as to evaluate the system performance in terms of classification accuracy. One volunteer participated in the experiment. The result shows the system was able to predict the position of the forearm using the proposed method with 98.36% and 96.19% of accuracy.
25 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a lower limb robotic exoskeleton (MLLRE) was developed for gait rehabilitation for neurologically impaired patients, which is composed of two exoskeletal orthoses, an active body weight support (BWS) system attached to a motorized mobile base.
Abstract: A new compact mobile lower limb robotic exoskeleton (MLLRE) has been developed for gait rehabilitation for neurologically impaired patients. This robotic exoskeleton is composed of two exoskeletal orthoses, an active body weight support (BWS) system attached to a motorized mobile base, allowing over-ground walking. The exoskeletal orthosis is optimized to implement the extension and flexion of human hip and knee joints in the sagittal plane. The motor-driven BWS system can actively unload human body weight and track the vertical displacement of the center of mass (COM). This system is compact and easy for therapist to help patient with different weight (up to 100 kg) and height (150–190 cm). Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the robot with a healthy subject. The results show that MLLRE is a useful device for patient to achieve normal over-ground gait patterns.
23 citations
21 citations
30 Nov 2014
TL;DR: Two kinds of compliant exoskeleton devices designed with the SEA and VSA respectively are introduced, and the mechanical design and control method for each device are introduced; especially the design for guaranteeing patients’ safety.
Abstract: Robot-aided rehabilitation training allows patients to receive a more effective and stable rehabilitation process. Exoskeleton devices are superior to the endpoint manipulators and cable suspension devices on the aspect that they can train and measure the angle and torque on each joint of impaired limbs. For robotic devices, physical safety should be guaranteed since the robot-assisted training relies on high human-robot interaction especially for exoskeletons. Traditional robotic devices mainly introduce the stiffness actuator, while the high levels of kinetic energy of robots will induce unsafe. For guaranteeing the safety of patients, compliant actuator such as the series elastic actuator (SEA) and variable stiffness actuator (VSA) design has been involved into these devices. The added compliance can make robots intrinsically safe and realize the energy-efficient actuation. The VSA used a variable stiffness elastic component instead of a constant stiffness elastic component, and VSAs is deemed to a kind of SEAs. A closed-loop interaction control method was used for SEAs to generate low impedance. By comparison, the VSA realizes adaptable compliance properties with inherent mechanical design. Thus, for SEAs, an additional mechanism is needed to adjust the output stiffness. In this paper, two kinds of compliant exoskeleton devices designed with the SEA and VSA respectively are introduced. The mechanical design and control method for each device are introduced; especially the design for guaranteeing patients’ safety.
19 citations
16 citations
Patent•
07 Mar 2014TL;DR: In this paper, a hand exoskeleton based on a three-layered sliding spring mechanism is proposed to support the daily activity motions of a human finger, where the three joints of the finger can be bent and extended by a single drive mechanism.
Abstract: In a hand exoskeleton device, according to a three-layered sliding spring mechanism, the motion of the device is changed by a single drive mechanism to transmit power to the metacarpophalangeal, proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of a human finger, thereby enabling support of the daily activity motions of the finger. According to the hand exoskeleton device, when compared with a conventional device, there can be realized a device which is small in size and weight and is capable of supporting the gripping motions of the human finger. The hand exoskeleton device is characterized in that the three joints of the finger can be bent and extended by the single drive mechanism and it can transmit large drive power. Further, the device body is flexible, thereby enabling safe movement.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors deal with the kinetostatic analysis and consequent optimization of an underactuated mechanism, whose aim is to constitute an exoskeleton device, designed to enhance the force of the human finger with whom it is coupled.
06 Nov 2014
TL;DR: Innovative ECoG signal decoding algorithms will allow the control of the exoskeleton by the subject's brain activity, and the whole BCI platform was tested in real-time in preclinical experiments carried out in nonhuman primates.
Abstract: The goal of the CLINATEC® Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Project is to improve tetraplegic subjects' quality of life by allowing them to interact with their environment through the control of effectors, such as an exoskeleton. The BCI platform is based on a wireless 64-channel ElectroCorticoGram (ECoG) recording implant WIMAGINE®, designed for long-term clinical application, and a BCI software environment associated to a 4-limb exoskeleton EMY (Enhancing MobilitY). Innovative ECoG signal decoding algorithms will allow the control of the exoskeleton by the subject's brain activity. Currently, the whole BCI platform was tested in real-time in preclinical experiments carried out in nonhuman primates. In these experiments, the exoskeleton arm was controlled by means of the decoded neuronal activity.
Patent•
12 Mar 2014
TL;DR: In this article, an exoskeleton hip pivot/pivot position can be dynamically adjusted by the wearer in order to compensate for changing load or actuation conditions, such as changing load and actuation condition.
Abstract: An exoskeleton device (103; 113; 302; 402) provides for selectively adjusting an exoskeleton hip pivot/pivot position (109; 119; 306; 407; 408; 410) in the sagittal plane relative to the position of the hip pivot (133) of a wearer (101; 111; 301; 401) of the exoskeleton (103; 113; 302; 402). The exoskeleton hip pivots/pivot positions (109; 119; 306; 407; 408; 410) can be shifted forward or rearward relative to the hip pivots (133) of the wearer (101; 111; 301; 401) and can either be automatically actuated by an exoskeleton control system or manually adjusted by the exoskeleton wearer (101; 111; 301; 401). The invention particularly allows for differential hip placement in order to compensate for changing load or actuation conditions.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a continuum shoulder exoskeleton design to realize anatomy adaptive assistances (AAAs) for hemiparetic patients in a purely assistive mode where patient's limb motions are passive.
Abstract: Many existing exoskeletons have followed a similar design concept that a rigid kinematic chain is actuated to mobilize a human wearer in spite of the intended applications. For performance-augmenting applications where an exoskeleton is usually paired with a specific wearer, the human–machine kinematic compatibility might be well maintained. However, in a clinical setting for rehabilitation where one exoskeleton is often shared by a group of patients, it will be difficult for the therapists to guarantee the on-site adjustments would accurately fit the exoskeleton to each individual patient with his/her unique anatomy. This paper proposes a continuum shoulder exoskeleton design to realize anatomy adaptive assistances (AAAs) for hemiparetic patients in a purely assistive mode where patient's limb motions are passive. The shoulder exoskeleton conforms to distinct human anatomies adaptively due to its intrinsic flexibility but still manages to deliver motion assistances in a consistent way. The design concept and the system descriptions are elaborated, including kinematics, statics, system construction, actuation, experimental validation, backbone shape identification, motion compensation, manikin trials, etc. The results suggest that it is possible to design a continuum exoskeleton to assist different patients with their limb movements, while no mechanical adjustments on the exoskeleton shall be performed.
TL;DR: A novel approach to estimate glenohumeral joint rotation center (GH-c) using measurements of shoulder joint angles and cable lengths is proposed, which helps in locating the GH-c center appropriately within the kinematic model.
Abstract: In the past few years, the authors have proposed several prototypes of a Cable-driven upper ARm EXoskeleton (CAREX) for arm rehabilitation. One of the assumptions of CAREX was that the glenohumeral joint rotation center (GH-c) remains stationary in the inertial frame during motion, which leads to inaccuracy in the kinematic model and may hamper training performance. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to estimate GH-c using measurements of shoulder joint angles and cable lengths. This helps in locating the GH-c center appropriately within the kinematic model. As a result, more accurate kinematic model can be used to improve the training of human users. An estimation algorithm is presented to compute the GH-c in real-time. The algorithm was implemented on the latest prototype of CAREX. Simulations and preliminary experimental results are presented to validate the proposed GH-c estimation method.
Patent•
26 Nov 2014
TL;DR: In this article, a human body unilateral lower limb exoskeleton device consisting of a waist binding sleeve, a control button, a waist joint supporting rod, a hip joint motor and an ankle joint movable shaft and a foot pedal was used to help a hemiplegic patient to walk well.
Abstract: The utility model provides a human body unilateral lower limb exoskeleton device The human body unilateral lower limb exoskeleton device comprises a waist binding sleeve, a control button, a hip joint supporting rod, a hip joint motor, a hip joint exoskeleton, a thigh supporting rod sleeve, a thigh supporting rod, a knee joint motor, a knee joint exoskeleton, a shank supporting rod sleeve, a shank supporting rod, an ankle joint movable shaft and a foot pedal The human body unilateral lower limb exoskeleton device has the advantages of being ingenious in design, simple in structure, high in adaptability, adjustable in height, and capable of preventing tumbling, keeping balance and helping a hemiplegic patient to walk well When the hemiplegic patient wears the human body unilateral lower limb exoskeleton device and presses the control button, the hip joint motor rotates to drive the thigh of the patient to be lifted upwards, then the knee joint motor rotates to drive the shank to kick forwards, and therefore one forward-moving step can be completed
01 Aug 2014
TL;DR: In this paper, a novel system is proposed for providing the bilateral training with coordinative motion of two limbs, where a commercial haptic device (Phantom Premium) is adopted for providing a feedback with information of errors and how to correct them.
Abstract: According to the neuro-rehabilitation theory, passive, resistance and bilateral training are commonly applied for recovering the motor-function of stroke patient. Among them, bilateral training is proved to be an effective method for the hemiparesis that occupies most part of stroke patients. In this article, a novel system is proposed for providing the bilateral training with coordinative motion of two limbs. This system is developed for the elbow function recovery and the motion of two limbs is detected with two inertia sensors. A commercial haptic device (Phantom Premium) is adopted for providing a feedback with information of errors and how to correct them. Combined with a graphic interface which provides a visual feedback, the patient can adjust the two limbs to a coordinative motion. This system can perform the training to those patients with some muscle strength. However, usually the rehabilitation training is hierarchical and those patients with little muscle strength can even not lift their own limbs. Therefore, a light-weight exoskeleton device is applied and this device could provide partial assisting force, thus the patient can gradually adapt to the training. In this article, an issue about the effectiveness of feedback is discussed and verified with several contrast experiments.
20 Oct 2014
TL;DR: A novel design of a robotic hand exoskeleton device (PMHand) for the purpose of aiding post stroke rehabilitation and preliminary experimental results are presented in detail.
Abstract: This paper proposes a novel design of a robotic hand exoskeleton device (PMHand) for the purpose of aiding post stroke rehabilitation. The main effects of a stroke on the human hand and the current rehabilitation methods and their limitations are briefly reviewed. The design process and fabrication of a full hand exoskeleton, control system and preliminary experimental results are presented in detail.
Patent•
22 Oct 2014
TL;DR: In this paper, a self adaptive support weight losing device for a lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot is described, which consists of a gravity center following device on the upper face of a lift platform moving plate and a lifting device arranged on the lower face of the moving plate.
Abstract: The invention discloses a self adaptive support weight losing device for a lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot. The self adaptive support weight losing device comprises a gravity center following device arranged on the upper face of a lift platform moving plate and a lifting device arranged on the lower face of the lift platform moving plate and is characterized in that the gravity center following device comprises a slot type cam, a cam swing rod, a power exoskeleton support plate connected with a power exoskeleton device, one end of the cam swing rod is matched with an annular sliding slot of the slot type cam in a contacted mode through an idler wheel, the other end of the cam swing rod is connected with a parallelogram connecting rod structure, the rear edge of the parallelogram connecting rod structure is hinged to a stand column of the lift platform moving plate, and the front edge of the parallelogram connecting rod structure is hinged to a vertically moving mechanism which forms a sliding pair with the power exoskeleton support plate.
Patent•
08 Oct 2014
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a method for estimating the walking of a wearable exoskeleton using a foot pressure sensor unit composed of multiple foot pressure sensors which measure pressure applied to the soles of the feet of a user wearing an exo-body device.
Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for estimating the walking of a wearable exoskeleton. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the device for estimating the walking comprises: a foot pressure sensor unit composed of multiple foot pressure sensors which measure pressure applied to the soles of the feet of a user wearing an exoskeleton device; a joint angle sensor unit composed of multiple joint angle sensors which measure the femoral joint angle, the knee joint angle, and the ankle join angle of the user; a walking data calculating unit which calculates walking data for determining at least one among walking steps of the exoskeleton device stored in a database, using data measured by the foot pressure sensor unit and the joint angle sensor unit, as a walking step of the exoskeleton device; and a walking step determining unit which determines the walking step of the exoskeleton device based on the calculated walking data.
Patent•
25 Jun 2014
TL;DR: In this paper, the utility model relates to a force feedback exoskeleton device which is used for human ankles and based on a parallel mechanism not making contact with the ground and capable of being reconstructed.
Abstract: The utility model relates to a force feedback exoskeleton device which is used for human ankles and based on a parallel mechanism not making contact with the ground and capable of being reconstructed. An ankle treatment and exoskeleton measurement device not making contact with the ground, capable of being worn and capable of being reconstructed comprises a base platform, a movable platform, connecting components and joint components, wherein the base platform faces towards the legs of an operator, the movable platform faces towards the feet of the operator, the base platform and the movable platform are connected through the connecting components, and the connecting components are connected to the movable platform through the joint components.
Patent•
25 Jun 2014
TL;DR: In this article, a cerebral palsy comprehensive rehabilitation training assistive tool which comprises a bottom frame, a lower limb exoskeleton device and a suspension device is presented. But the tool is not suitable for wheelchairs.
Abstract: The utility model discloses a cerebral palsy comprehensive rehabilitation training assistive tool which comprises a bottom frame, a lower limb exoskeleton device and a suspension device. The bottom frame comprises universal casters with a locking function, a lower bottom frame body, an upper bottom frame body and an exoskeleton device inclination adjusting mechanism. The lower limb exoskeleton device is fixedly arranged on the bottom frame and can achieve rehabilitation training such as forward flexion, backward extension, abduction, adduction, medial rotation, lateral rotation of the hip joint of a patient, flexion and extension of knee joints, dorsal foot flexion, metatarsal flexion, strephenopodia, strephexopodia, foot medial rotation and foot lateral rotation. The suspension device is fixedly arranged on the bottom frame to achieve the functions of lowering weight through suspension and correcting postures of the upper body of the patient. The rehabilitation training assistive tool can help the cerebral palsy patient to correct abnormal postures of the lower limbs, carry out rehabilitation training of joints of the lower limbs and promote development of the joints of the lower limbs, and the patient can stand and walk normally gradually.
01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: A developed measurement system to estimate various human joint angles during a human gait using a MEMS bases low-g three-axis accelerometer (ADXL 335) and a developed algorithm based on tri-axis tilt sensing.
Abstract: The study and estimation of various joint angles in humans has important significance in medical treatment, rehabilitation, physical training and so forth. Exoskeleton devices that can enhance human’s performance or assist disabled people have been developed in recent years. This paper describes a developed measurement system to estimate various human joint angles during a human gait using a MEMS bases low-g three-axis accelerometer (ADXL 335). A LabVIEW-based measurement system is developed to calculate the tilt angles of the accelerometer, based on the physical model of three acceleration components of the same. With the developed algorithm based on tri-axis tilt sensing, an ADXL 335 IC is used for measuring roll and pitch components, which are of numerous use in rehabilitation robotics. A combination of three sensor assembly is used per leg to calculate various joint angles viz. hip, knee and ankle. NI cDAQ-9172 with NI 9205 I/O module is used for acquiring signal from the accelerometer and the algorithm is implemented in LabVIEW-2012. Data for individuals from different age groups were recorded for different gait speed with this measurement system and dynamically tested against standard Biometrics Ltd. goniometer assembly. An accuracy of ±1 degree was achieved with this measurement system.
01 Apr 2014
TL;DR: In this article, the surface electromyography signals (sEMG) feedback was obtained by means of the surface electrodes loaded the forearm antagonistic muscle and the sEMG was amplified about 100 times again after it was preliminarily amplified about 200 times and filtered through threshold and the equivalent calculation.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel exoskeleton training system for hand rehabilitation with the surface electromyography signals (sEMG) feedback to meet the kinematics characteristics of finger joints. In this system, the sEMG is obtained by means of the surface electrodes loaded the forearm antagonistic muscle. The sEMG is amplified about 100 times again after it was preliminarily amplified about 200 times and filter,. Through threshold and the equivalent calculation, the control signal was input into the driving circuit of DC micro motor to control the hand Exoskeleton. The experimental results show that the processed sEMG can drive the hand exoskeleton for rehabilitation training, and the bending angular of joints agree well with bionics laws. The results possess guideline value for bionics motion control of hand rehabilitation with function damage.
TL;DR: In this article, a bio-inspired hip-knee coupling mechanism was proposed to enable users to walk, sit, and stand using a single motor for each exoskeleton leg in conjunction with a custom orthotic knee joint.
Abstract: Lower-extremity powered exoskeletons have traditionally used four to ten powered degrees of freedom to provide gait assistance for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Systems with numerous high-impedance powered degrees of freedom commonly suffer from cumbersome walking dynamics and decreased utility due to added weight and increased control complexity. We propose a new approach to powered exoskeleton design that minimizes actuation and control complexity by embedding intelligence into the hardware. This paper describes a minimalistic system that uses a single motor for each exoskeleton leg in conjunction with a bio-inspired hip-knee coupling mechanism to enable users to walk, sit, and stand. Operating in concert with a custom orthotic knee joint, the exoskeleton hip joint has been designed to mimic the biarticular coupling of human leg muscles thus allowing a single actuator to power both hip and knee motions simultaneously. The implementation of this design resulted in a system that provides comparable performance to existing exoskeletons. This system has been tested on paraplegic subjects and has successfully enabled patients to stand up, sit down, and ambulate in numerous real world situations.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: A ring-type design of exotendon device for easier donning and the design of a feedback control system for controlling posture of the finger are introduced.
Abstract: Many hand exoskeleton devices have recently been developed for hand rehabilitation of stroke survivors, but most hand exoskeletons focused on implementing joint movement driven by individual actuator located at the finger joints rather than considering function of hand muscle-tendons and their coordination. In order to achieve hand rehabilitation targeted on restoration of specific muscle-tendon functions, a biomimetic hand exotendon device (BiomHED) was introduced recently. This paper introduces a ring-type design of exotendon device for easier donning and the design of a feedback control system for controlling posture of the finger. Technical details of the feedback sensor and controller with preliminary experimental results are presented.
25 Apr 2014
TL;DR: In this article, it is shown how measured ground forces combined with measured tilt angles of the exoskeleton can be used for that purpose, and also shown that ground forces alone can trigger steps.
Abstract: Motorized locomotion assisting exoskeleton devices, have been proposed for assisting people with disabilities to walk or to perform other tasks [1-3]. In addition, enabling a person to walk also imparts therapeutic benefits [4]. A major challenge with such devices is to control the gait (and other movements) in an effective, safe and intuitive manner. It is shown here, how measured ground forces combined with measured tilt angles of the exoskeleton, can be used for that purpose. Also shown, that ground forces alone can trigger steps.