Upper-Limb Powered Exoskeleton Design

An exoskeleton is an external structural mechanism with joints and links corresponding to those of the human body. With applications in rehabilitation medicine and virtual reality simulation, exoskeletons offer benefits for both disabled and healthy populations. A pilot database defining the kinematics and dynamics of the upper limb during daily living activities was one among several factors guiding the development of an anthropomorphic, 7-DOF, powered arm exoskeleton. Additional design inputs include anatomical and physiological considerations, workspace analyses, and upper limb joint ranges of motion. The database was compiled from 19 arm activities of daily living. The cable-actuated dexterous exoskeleton for neurorehabilitation (CADEN)-7 offers remarkable opportunities as a versatile human-machine interface and as a new generation of assistive technology. Proximal placement of motors and distal placement of cable-pulley reductions were incorporated into the design, leading to low inertia, high-stiffness links, and backdrivable transmissions with zero backlash. The design enables full glenohumeral, elbow, and wrist joint functionality. Potential applications of the exoskeleton as a wearable robot include: 1) a therapeutic and diagnostics device for physiotherapy, 2) an assistive (orthotic) device for human power amplifications, 3) a haptic device in virtual reality simulation, and 4) a master device for teleoperation.

[1]  Massimo Bergamasco,et al.  An arm exoskeleton system for teleoperation and virtual environments applications , 1994, Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[2]  Ibrahim Adalbert Kapandji,et al.  The physiology of the joints: Annotated diagrams of the mechanics of the human joints , 1970 .

[3]  N. Manning,et al.  The human arm kinematics and dynamics during daily activities - toward a 7 DOF upper limb powered exoskeleton , 2005, ICAR '05. Proceedings., 12th International Conference on Advanced Robotics, 2005..

[4]  Jacob Rosen,et al.  Performances of Hill-Type and Neural Network Muscle Models - Toward a Myosignal-Based Exoskeleton , 1999, Comput. Biomed. Res..

[5]  T. L. Brooks,et al.  Telerobotic response requirements , 1990, 1990 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Conference Proceedings.

[6]  Homayoon Kazerooni,et al.  Human-robot interaction via the transfer of power and information signals , 1990, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern..

[7]  B.M. Jau,et al.  Anthropomorhic Exoskeleton dual arm/hand telerobot controller , 2002, IEEE International Workshop on Intelligent Robots.

[8]  William S. Harwin,et al.  Upper Limb Robot Mediated Stroke Therapy—GENTLE/s Approach , 2003, Auton. Robots.

[9]  Jacob Rosen,et al.  A myosignal-based powered exoskeleton system , 2001, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Part A.

[10]  John Kenneth Salisbury,et al.  Preliminary design of a whole-arm manipulation system (WAMS) , 1988, Proceedings. 1988 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[11]  N. Hogan,et al.  Robot-Aided Neurorehabilitation: From Evidence-Based to Science-Based Rehabilitation , 2002, Topics in stroke rehabilitation.

[12]  BRIAN A. Garner,et al.  A Kinematic Model of the Upper Limb Based on the Visible Human Project (VHP) Image Dataset. , 1999, Computer methods in biomechanics and biomedical engineering.

[13]  Blake Hannaford,et al.  Hill-Based Model as a Myoprocessor for a Neural Controlled Powered Exoskeleton Arm - Parameters Optimization , 2005, Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[14]  Darwin G. Caldwell,et al.  Multi-armed dexterous manipulator operation using glove/exoskeleton control and sensory feedback , 1995, Proceedings 1995 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Human Robot Interaction and Cooperative Robots.

[15]  Antonio Frisoli,et al.  A new force-feedback arm exoskeleton for haptic interaction in virtual environments , 2005, First Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. World Haptics Conference.

[16]  N. Hogan,et al.  Effects of robotic therapy on motor impairment and recovery in chronic stroke. , 2003, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[17]  C O Bechtol,et al.  Biomechanics of the shoulder. , 1980, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[18]  Daniel W. Repperger,et al.  Human tracking studies involving an actively powered, augmented exoskeleton , 1996, Proceedings of the 1996 Fifteenth Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference.

[19]  Hermano Igo Krebs,et al.  MIT-MANUS: a workstation for manual therapy and training. I , 1992, [1992] Proceedings IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication.

[20]  N. Hogan,et al.  Rehabilitators, Robots, and Guides: New Tools for Neurological Rehabilitation , 2000 .

[21]  Homayoon Kazerooni,et al.  The human power amplifier technology at the University of California, Berkeley , 1996, Robotics Auton. Syst..