Robotic Exoskeleton Design and System Control for Glovebox Operators in Nuclear Facilities

Hot cell glovebox operators in nuclear facilities are subjected to dangerous tasks dealing with radiation. Added to which are long hours of glovebox operations leading to stress, injuries and safety issues. A study sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory reported the incidence rate of repetitive stress injuries increased from 22% after 1-2 hours of work to 50% after 3 hours of work per day due to physical fatigue, repetitive motion, and hyperextension during manipulation tasks in glovebox and hot cell workspaces at DOE facilities. Exoskeletons provide a great avenue to assist glovebox operators and help them in conducting repetitive tasks for longer hours without fatigue, and therefore stress related injuries. Current works include the development of a novel exoskeleton device with focus on the design, development, and control systems for upper limb assistance. This device aims to reduce physical fatigue in glovebox operators through muscular involvement minimization. The exoskeleton includes a low-profile frame that can fit inside a glove while still maintaining vertical active and horizontal passive assistance on an ergonomic design. Active assistance is realized vertically to help reduce muscle fatigue from lifting and holding materials and the weight of the worker’s arm. This work is a continuation of the author’s previous work and focuses on the development of control algorithms to intuitively and accurately provide movement assistance based on various system conditions and user inputs.