An Approach of Designing an Exoskeleton Arm

In addition to providing hands-on patient care, robots can also help lift patients. Some Japanese inventors created the "Robot for Interactive Body Assistance". This robot is used to transport patients weighing up to 134 lbs. to bedsides and wheelchairs using built-in sensors and foam support technology (Dean, 2009). In America researchers have tested robot called a "Nursebot" on elderly patients, this was not very effective. The problems with the "Nursebot" was it’s ability to perform task such as giving patients bath or help change the patients. The "Nursebot" was however able to remind patients when to take medications or help them to move around as to not strain the elderly person.

Drug prescriptions may help with pain, and occupational therapy, physical therapy, and massage therapy are useful for the recovery of motor and sensory functions. However, there are limitations to these therapies, such as when and where they can be performed. Additionally research has focused on a person’s overall ability or disability in performing activities of daily living (ADL) after therapy, which doesn’t distinguish between the motor function of the affected limb and compensation by other limbs. Neurorehabilitation research contributed to changing the discussion to an individual’s level of motor and sensory function and the development of assistive haptic and robotic devices [6]. The range of technology varies from simple end-effector devices to full scale exoskeleton robots, to be fitted to the hand or affected limb.

In the second application, the system is used to drive a full-body exoskeleton with four (4) actuated joints in its lower limb (Hips and Knees) to follow a CPG-based human gait. The CPG-based human gait is modified using polynomial functions to allow the selection of initial conditions for the human-exoskeleton. Simulation and the eventual results were obtained via MATLAB/SIMULINK. The performance of the system was discussed

Scientists from all around the world have been working on how to make hemiplegia, paraplegia and quadriplegia manageable. With this thought in mind, scientists looked to arachnids, lobsters, crabs, and other creatures with exoskeletons. They marveled at the outer skeleton and wondered how they could use that idea to help the disabled. Their idea was to have something support and control the movement outside the body instead of the inside. If the body itself isn 't able to work properly, then why not make something that can

People who suffer from an amputation; those who lost a part of their body, such as an arm, use prosthesis which is an artificial device that replaces a missing limb. These prosthetic devices or prosthesis is extremely useful and plays a major role in rehabilitation. Nevertheless, Prosthetic amputee face difficulties using and controlling their artificial devices. Training programs are necessary to help them exercise their device properly. Many cases of prosthetic succumb during therapy . This project will improve the mobility of artificial arm and help people with their artificial device have an ability to manage their daily activities easily, as well as provide the means to stay independent.

The advantages robotic systems could provide to human rehabilitation processes are promising: not only they could help therapists by increasing the duration of the rehabilitation exercises, but also they could enhance their quality through a precise control of the motion applied by the robot to the patient \cite{qian2015}. Another useful features of a robotic systems represents the possibility to record very precise kinematic and kinetic information during the rehabilitation process, and finally they make possible to adapt the exercise to the particular stage of the individual \cite{robertson2010}.

Park et al. (2017) proposed a solution that considers both mitigations of static and dynamic loads. They proposed a wearable upper body device that allowed load distribution between the shoulder and the pelvis and dynamic load compensation during walking. The device consisted of a fitted shirt designed to be worn on the body and the load. It had two modules: passive and active. The passive mode allows the distributions of the load by using

Abstract— In this paper, we have considered the anthropometrics of the human arm, taking into account the movements and angles of the elbow and wrist with the goal of developing a prototype for the first and second phases of rehabilitation for the patient in order to achieve full joints mobility. The implementation of this prototype consists of four different adaptations, for each movement, a sensors interface electronic board, a control board, and a graphical user interface where the physiotherapist is able to set up a personalized rehabilitation cycle according to the patient needs.

My research question is “To what extent should the Australian government consider supporting investment in public and private companies for the purpose of developing robotic exoskeleton-suit technologies for military, health and industrial uses?”. My inspiration into robotic exoskeleton suits is Ironman and I’m interested in robotics and human enhancement. {I have huge interest in robotics and human enhancement since a very young age. This interest was further magnified after watching the Ironman movie, a superhero who developed a Hi-Tech robotic exoskeleton suit.} This was an interesting and valuable topic for me as I want to study engineering at university. My primary research included interview, surveys and personal experience

To create a working exoskeleton plate carrier that is not reliant on electricity or batteries and aid's the operator in preforming his or her duties while avoiding injuries.

Continue passive motion is the passive motion performed by a mechanical device that move a joint slowly and continually through a controlled of range of motion (Carolyn Kisner, 2012). Continue passive motion device exist in the market for nearly every joint in the body such as shoulder continue passive motion machine, knee continue passive motion machine, elbow continue passive motion machine and ankle continue passive motion machine. Continue passive motion device allow the joint to move for hours in time. Continue passive motion device make the joint to flex or extent in a preset range of motion and time of repetition. The movement produce by the device is slow and controlled and thus the patient does not actively exert force on the muscle to produce movement. Continue passive motion is good in healing effect on injured or disease joint

Rehabilitation devices are an essential part of the medical industry as they serve the purpose of returning a person to his/her original flexibility or movement. Conventional rehabilitation exercises utilise rigid and heavy robotic devices that are limited to the clinical setting. Soft robotics deals with constructing robots from highly compliant materials, similar to those found in living organisms. In contrast to robots built from rigid materials, soft robots allow for increased flexibility and adaptability for accomplishing tasks, as well as improved safety when working around humans. This paper presents a fully fabric-based soft robotic wrist brace designed to assist wrist-impaired patients in rehabilitation exercises. The wrist brace

A century ago, science fiction writers predicted a world filled with sophisticated robots that were humankind's servants, performing all of the world's mundane and labor-intensive chores. Although that eventuality has not yet been realized, the current trends in robotics technologies indicate that such a world is not far-fetched, but is rather the reality that is going to emerge in the near future. In the meantime, robotic technologies continue to be introduced and refined to help humans in a wide range of ways, including rehabilitation medicine. To gain some fresh insights in this area of research, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning rehabilitation robotics to describe two new robotic technologies, the NeReBot which is designed for acute arm therapy, and the Mirror Image Movement Enabler robot which provides intensive therapy for acute stroke patients. A summary of the research and important findings are provided in the conclusion.

If one was to be asked that what exactly is a powered exoskeleton then the image that would generally come to a person’s mind would be Iron man or they would think about the movies like Avatar, Aliens, The Avengers, Edge of tomorrow. The list will go on and on. Earlier people were aware of only a handful of wearable exoskeleton devices. They had a belief that all fictional and nonfictional wearable robotic devices were large, rigid metal armors that were heavy and had sizable actuators. Researchers began to develop powered exoskeletons which were wearable devices that performed useful physical work. Just like that, Exoskeletons became obsolete! So did the term “Powered Exoskeletons”. “Powered Exoskeleton” had been shortened to “Exoskeleton”. There were different names thrown around for this new family of fictional and real devices. Question arises, Is powered exoskeleton an ironman thing or more than that? The answer is a big no, powered exoskeleton is more than a big machine or Iron man suit. This paper will give us a more insight of what it is, how it evolved and where it can be used to benefit us. It is written with the intention of making people aware

The main concept of our project by providing two modes is that with the help of HMI based touch screen the disables will need less muscle movement as well as less muscle pressure and if in case muscle pain comes then we have provided another mode with the help of which the wheelchair can move automatically.