Automatic synthesis of arthrokinematically compatible exoskeletons. A case study on its application on a shoulder occupational exoskeleton

Abstract The synthesis of kinematic structures compatible with the human anatomy and complexity is not a straightforward problem. The resulting solution space has a large amount of possible combinations and finding one that is suitable, usually comes down to the designer’s expertise, often leading to sub-optimal solutions. Automatic synthesis of wearable devices is a field that can help on providing the designer with an atlas of solutions to greatly simplify and improve this process. However, existing methods up to now, often require unrealistic simplifications to reduce the number of solutions produced by the machine, to a reasonable amount that can be useful for the designer. The objective of this work is to present a new method for the type synthesis of arthrokinematically compatible exoskeletons, that uses graph and linear transformation theory to overcome the limitations of the existing methods, expanding their applicability to the 3D space. Spatial kinematically compatible shoulder exoskeletons have been generated with an algorithm that uses 99% less symbolic calculations in comparison with the state of the art, reducing the complexity of the process and enabling its use in real case scenarios.

[1]  Margaret A. Boden,et al.  Creativity in a nutshell , 2007, Think.

[2]  John Kenneth Salisbury,et al.  A friction differential and cable transmission design for a 3-DOF haptic device with spherical kinematics , 2011, 2011 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[3]  Daniel A. Spielman,et al.  Spectral Graph Theory and its Applications , 2007, 48th Annual IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS'07).

[4]  M. Naveena,et al.  LATERAL CRITICAL SPEED ANALYSIS OF MULTISTAGECENTRIFUGAL PUMP ROTOR USING FEA , 2013 .

[5]  N. Klopcar,et al.  Bilateral and unilateral shoulder girdle kinematics during humeral elevation. , 2006, Clinical biomechanics.

[7]  Grigore Gogu.  Families of 6R orthogonal robotic manipulators with only isolated and pseudo-isolated singularities , 2002 .

[8]  G. Gogu.  Chebychev–Grübler–Kutzbach's criterion for mobility calculation of multi-loop mechanisms revisited via theory of linear transformations , 2005 .

[9]  T. S. Mruthyunjaya,et al.  Kinematic structure of mechanisms revisited , 2003 .

[10]  J. Angeles,et al.  DETERMINATION DU DEGRE DE LIBERTE DES CHAINES CINEMATIQUE , 1988 .

[11]  Hong-Sen Yan,et al.  On the number synthesis of kinematic chains , 2015 .

[12]  Ashok Dargar,et al.  Mobility Analysis of Kinematic Chains , 2010 .

[13]  Frans C. T. van der Helm,et al.  Dampace: Design of an Exoskeleton for Force-Coordination Training in Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation , 2009 .

[14]  Qinchuan Li,et al.  Type Synthesis of Lower Mobility Parallel Mechanisms: A Review , 2019 .

[15]  C. Hughes.  Kinesiology: The Mechanics and Pathomechanics of Human Movement , 2004 .

[16]  J. A. Bondy,et al.  Basic graph theory: paths and circuits , 1996 .

[17]  Kenneth J. Waldron,et al.  Kinematics, dynamics, and design of machinery , 1998 .

[18]  Marco Rossini,et al.  Misalignment Compensation for Full Human-Exoskeleton Kinematic Compatibility: State of the Art and Evaluation , 2018, Applied Mechanics Reviews.

[19]  Alex Burdorf,et al.  Conservative interventions for treating work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder in adults. , 2013, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[20]  Chunjing Tao,et al.  A number synthesis method of the self-adapting upper-limb rehabilitation exoskeletons , 2017 .

[21]  Paolo Tommasino,et al.  H-Man: A planar, H-shape cabled differential robotic manipulandum for experiments on human motor control , 2014, Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

[22]  Dirk Lefeber,et al.  The two-degree-of-freedom cable pulley (2DCP) transmission system: An under-actuated and motion decoupled transmission for robotic applications , 2020 .

[23]  Geng Liu,et al.  A review of graph theory application research in gears , 2016 .

[24]  Hugh Herr,et al.  Exoskeletons and orthoses: classification, design challenges and future directions , 2009, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

[25]  Nevio Luigi Tagliamonte,et al.  Kinematic synthesis, optimization and analysis of a non-anthropomorphic 2-DOFs wearable orthosis for gait assistance , 2012, 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[26]  Hosang Lee,et al.  Control of a nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton for multi-joint assistance by contact force generation , 2018 .

[27]  Conor James Walsh,et al.  Biomimetic Design of an Under-Actuated Leg Exoskeleton for Load-Carrying Augmentation , 2006 .

[28]  A. Voilqué,et al.  Industrial Exoskeleton Technology: Classification, Structural Analysis, and Structural Complexity Indicator , 2019, 2019 Wearable Robotics Association Conference (WearRAcon).

[29]  Georg Bergmann,et al.  Comparison of Two Methods for In Vivo Estimation of the Glenohumeral Joint Rotation Center (GH-JRC) of the Patients with Shoulder Hemiarthroplasty , 2011, PloS one.

[30]  Linda C. Schmidt,et al.  Reliability and Efficiency of the Existing Spectral Methods for Isomorphism Detection , 2006 .

[31]  D. Hilbert,et al.  Geometry and the Imagination , 1953 .

[32]  Ramgopal Kashyap,et al.  Systematic Model for Decision Support System , 2019, Research Anthology on Decision Support Systems and Decision Management in Healthcare, Business, and Engineering.

[33]  J. Denavit,et al.  A kinematic notation for lower pair mechanisms based on matrices , 1955 .

[34]  Andre Schiele.  An explicit model to predict and interpret constraint force creation in pHRI with exoskeletons , 2008, 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[35]  Grigore Gogu.  Structural synthesis of parallel robots. , 2008 .

[36]  Jongwon Lee,et al.  Biomechanical Design of a Novel Flexible Exoskeleton for Lower Extremities , 2017, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[37]  Darwin G. Caldwell,et al.  Towards Design Guidelines for Physical Interfaces on Industrial Exoskeletons: Overview on Evaluation Metrics , 2018, Biosystems & Biorobotics.

[38]  Olivier Lambercy,et al.  Design and Evaluation of a Bowden-Cable-Based Remote Actuation System for Wearable Robotics , 2018, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.

[39]  Nevio Luigi Tagliamonte,et al.  A systematic graph-based method for the kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots , 2010, 2010 IEEE Conference on Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics.

[40]  Linda C. Schmidt,et al.  Structural synthesis of planar kinematic chains by adapting a Mckay-type algorithm , 2006 .

[41]  Trevor H. Davies,et al.  An extension of Manolescu's classification of planar kinematic chains and mechanisms of mobility M ⩾ 1, using graph theory , 1968 .

[42]  Shinji Umeyama,et al.  An Eigendecomposition Approach to Weighted Graph Matching Problems , 1988, IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell..

[43]  Walter Maurel,et al.  3D modeling of the human upper limb including the biomechanics of joints, muscles and soft tissues , 1999 .

[44]  Nevio Luigi Tagliamonte,et al.  Robomorphism: A Nonanthropomorphic Wearable Robot , 2014, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine.

[45]  H. Almohamad.  A polynomial transform for matching pairs of weighted graphs , 1991 .

[46]  F.C.T. van der Helm,et al.  Kinematic Design to Improve Ergonomics in Human Machine Interaction , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.

[47]  Nicola Vitiello,et al.  NEUROExos: A Powered Elbow Exoskeleton for Physical Rehabilitation , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[48]  Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky,et al.  Kinetics of Human Motion , 2002 .

[49]  Thomas B. Moeslund,et al.  Modelling the 3D pose of a human arm and the shoulder complex utilising only two parameters , 2005, Integr. Comput. Aided Eng..

[50]  Robert Riener,et al.  ARMin III --arm therapy exoskeleton with an ergonomic shoulder actuation , 2009 .

[51]  Adolf Karger,et al.  Singularity Analysis of Serial Robot-Manipulators , 1996 .

[52]  Aghil Jafari,et al.  A Conceptual Exoskeleton Shoulder Design for the Assistance of Upper Limb Movement , 2018, TAROS.

[53]  N. Adachi,et al.  Evolutionary Morphology , 2008 .

[54]  A. C. Rao,et al.  Computer aided structural synthesis of planar kinematic chains obviating the test for isomorphism , 2001 .

[55]  M. Zhang,et al.  Three-dimensional gait analysis of obese adults. , 2008, Clinical biomechanics.

[56]  Yi Lu,et al.  Type synthesis of four-degree-of-freedom parallel mechanisms using valid arrays and topological graphs with digits , 2014 .

[57]  Andre Schiele.  Ergonomics of exoskeletons: Objective performance metrics , 2009, World Haptics 2009 - Third Joint EuroHaptics conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems.

[58]  J. Hervé.  Analyse structurelle des mcanismes par groupe des dplacements , 1978 .

[59]  Lee Nolan,et al.  Aging, muscle activity, and balance control: physiologic changes associated with balance impairment. , 2003, Gait & posture.

[60]  Joost Geeroms,et al.  Driving Robotic Exoskeletons Using Cable-Based Transmissions: A Qualitative Analysis and Overview , 2018, Applied Mechanics Reviews.

[61]  Frida Marina Fischer,et al.  Musculoskeletal reported symptoms among aircraft assembly workers: a multifactorial approach. , 2012, Work.

[62]  G. Oriolo,et al.  Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control , 2008 .

[63]  G. Gogu.  Structural synthesis of fully-isotropic translational parallel robots via theory of linear transformations , 2004 .

[64]  Nevio Luigi Tagliamonte,et al.  A systematic graph-based method for the kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots for the lower limbs , 2010 .

[65]  A. H. Soni,et al.  Mechanism synthesis and analysis , 1981 .

[66]  Structural Analysis and Mobility Test of Fourteen Links Kinematic Chain Using Graph Theory , 2014 .

[67]  S. Verma,et al.  A REVIEW OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF KINEMATIC CHAINS , 2015 .

[68]  Michele Xiloyannis,et al.  Development of a Soft Exosuit for Industriale Applications , 2018, 2018 7th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (Biorob).

[69]  Jose L Pons,et al.  Wearable Robots: Biomechatronic Exoskeletons , 2008 .

[70]  Brendan D. McKay,et al.  Isomorph-Free Exhaustive Generation , 1998, J. Algorithms.