This article presents the possibilities of newly developed middleware dedicated for distributed and modular control systems. The software enables the exchange of information locally, within one control module, and globally, between many modules. The...
Wheelchair mounted upper limb exoskeletons offer an alternative way to support disabled individuals in their activities of daily living (ADL). Key challenges in exoskeleton technology include innovative mechanical design and implementation of a contr...
In this paper, the analysis of the intensity of muscle activations in different subjects when they perform an industrial task in a repetitive way assisted by a robotic upper-limb exoskeleton is presented. To do that, surface electromyography (EMG) si...
The contradiction between self-weight and load capacity of a power-assisted upper-limb exoskeleton for material hanging is unresolved. In this paper, a non-anthropomorphic 3-degree of freedom (DOF) upper-limb exoskeleton with an internally rotated el...
The flexible upper-limb exoskeleton robot (exosuit) is composed of fabrics, soft actuators and compliant force-transmitting structures, which provides assistance or rehabilitation training for the shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands. By realizing hum...
In order to meet the maneuverability requirements of spacesuits for future manned planetary exploration, the concept of an active spacesuit based on the joint-assisted exoskeleton technology is presented. First, by studying the kinematic characterist...
Heavy lifting operations frequently lead to upper limb muscle fatigue and injury. In order to reduce muscle fatigue, auxiliary force for upper limbs can be provided. This paper presents the development and evaluation of a wearable upper limb exoskele...
Recovery of therapeutic or functional ambulatory capacity in patients with rotator cuff injury is a primary goal of rehabilitation. Wearable powered exoskeletons allow patients to perform repetitive practice with large movements to maximize recovery,...
One of the primary reasons for wearable exoskeleton rejection is user discomfort caused by misalignment between the coupled system, i.e., the human limb and the exoskeleton. The article focuses primarily on the solution strategies for misalignment is...
To recognize the user’s motion intention, brain-machine interfaces (BMI) usually decode movements from cortical activity to control exoskeletons and neuroprostheses for daily activities. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether self-induced va...
Upper limb motor dysfunction resulting from stroke requires effective rehabilitation solutions; however, current exoskeletons are limited by single-input control, inadequate adaptation to various rehabilitation stages, and restriction to one limb. Th...
Safe operation, energy efficiency, versatility and kinematic compatibility are the most important aspects in the design of rehabilitation exoskeletons. This paper focuses on the conceptual bio-inspired mechanical design and equilibrium point control...
This work presents the design of the Rehab-Exos, a novel upper limb exoskeleton designed for rehabilitation purposes. It is equipped with high-reduction-ratio actuators and compact elastic joints to obtain torque sensors based on strain gauges. In th...
A power-assisted exoskeleton should be capable of reducing the burden on the wearer’s body or rendering his or her work improved and efficient. More specifically, the exoskeleton should be easy to wear, be simple to use, and provide power assis...
We developed an upper-limb power-assist exoskeleton actuated by pneumatic muscles. The exoskeleton included two metal links: a nylon joint, four size-adjustable carbon fiber bracers, a potentiometer and two pneumatic muscles. The proportional myoelec...
This paper proposed a novel design using a torsion spring mechanism with a single fluidic muscle actuator (FMA) to drive a joint with one degree-of-freedom (DOF) through a steel wire and a proportional pressure regulating valve (PRV). We developed a...
In this study, we propose a rehabilitation training system that incorporates active and passive rehabilitation modes to enhance the convenience, efficacy, and safety of rehabilitation training for patients with upper limb hemiplegia. This system faci...
Upper limb disabilities resulting from stroke affect millions worldwide, yet current rehabilitation systems face limitations in portability, cost-effectiveness, and multi-joint integration. This study presents a cable-driven parallel exoskeleton inte...
This article presents a methodology for the design of rehabilitation devices that considers factors involved in a clinical environment. This methodology integrates different disciplines that work together. The methodology is composed by three phases...
Aiming at the decrease of tracking accuracy caused by nonlinear friction and strong coupling of the flexible upper-limb exoskeleton, an improved super-twisting sliding mode controller (ISTSMC) is proposed. Compared with the conventional super twisted...
Aiming at the lack of active willingness of patients to participate in the current upper limb exoskeleton rehabilitation training control methods, this study proposed a radial basis function (RBF) sliding mode impedance control method based on surfac...
This study evaluated the effects of a passive upper-limb exoskeleton in agricultural work using a repeated-measures design with 24 adult males across three exoskeleton conditions (No Exo, Prototype, and Airframe), three work directions (left, front,...
The focus of this work is to design a control strategy with the dynamic characteristics of spring damping to realize the virtual flexibility and softness of a rigid-joint exoskeleton without installing real, physical elastic devices. The basic idea o...
Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) is a common occupational injury. Among the occupational injuries of agricultural workers, 93% are related to WMSD, with the shoulder being the second most affected area. This paper presents a passive upper...
Upper limb dysfunctions (ULD) are common following a stroke. Annually, more than 15 million people suffer a stroke worldwide. We have developed a 7 degrees of freedom (DoF) exoskeleton robot named the smart robotic exoskeleton (SREx) to provide upper...
Robotic exoskeletons are active devices that assist or counteract the movements of the body limbs in a variety of tasks, including in industrial environments or rehabilitation processes. With the introduction of textile and soft materials in these de...
Neuromotor rehabilitation and recovery of upper limb functions are essential to improve the life quality of patients who have suffered injuries or have pathological sequels, where it is desirable to enhance the development of activities of daily livi...
In this study, a model-free adaptive sliding mode control method was developed in combination with the prescribed performance method. On this basis, this study attempted to fulfill the joint position tracking trajectory task for the one-degree of fre...
Stroke is a leading cause of disability, often resulting in motor, cognitive, and language deficits, with significant impact on upper-limb function. Robotic therapy (RT) has emerged as an effective strategy, providing intensive, repetitive, and adapt...
We propose the use of computer vision for adaptive semi-autonomous control of an upper limb exoskeleton for assisting users with severe tetraplegia to increase independence and quality of life. A tongue-based interface was used together with the semi...
Exoskeletons are an external structural mechanism with joints and links that work in tandem with the user, which increases, reinforces, or restores human performance. Virtual Reality can be used to produce environments, in which the intensity of prac...
Upper limb rehabilitation exoskeletons form a spatial closed kinematic chain with the human arm, where inevitable joint-center and axis misalignment can generate hyperstatic interaction forces and torques. Passive degrees of freedom (DOF) are widely...
Robot-assisted training is a promising technology in clinical rehabilitation providing effective treatment to the patients with motor disability. In this paper, a multi-modal control strategy for a therapeutic upper limb exoskeleton is proposed to as...
This study investigates the biomechanical impact of a passive Arm-Support Exoskeleton (ASE) on workers in wool textile processing. Eight workers, equipped with surface electrodes for electromyography (EMG) recording, performed three industrial tasks,...
Exoskeleton robotics has ushered in a new era of modern neuromuscular rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology research. The technology promises to improve the upper-limb functionalities required for performing activities of daily living....
An innovative wearable upper-limb power-assist exoskeleton system (UPES) was designed for laborers to improve work efficiency and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. This novel wearable UPES consists of four joints, each comprising a single...
In recent years, myoelectric control systems have emerged for upper limb wearable robotic exoskeletons to provide movement assistance and/or to restore motor functions in people with motor disabilities and to augment human performance in able-bodied...
Sensorless and sensor-based upper limb exoskeletons that enhance or support daily motor function are limited for children. This review presents the different needs in pediatrics and the latest trends when developing an upper limb exoskeleton and disc...
Both for design issues and for the study, analysis, and understanding of the interaction of workers with exoskeletons, the study of adverse effects provides criteria to improve the design of more efficient exoskeletons with better ergonomics and long...
An important aspect of medical rehabilitation using exoskeletons is objective monitoring of the effectiveness of the exercise program. This control is most often manual and relies on the attention of a rehabilitation physician, but advanced rehabilit...
Upper limb assistive exoskeletons help stroke patients by assisting arm movement in impaired individuals. However, effective control of these systems to help stroke survivors is a complex task. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to enhance t...
Processing and control systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) have progressively improved mobile robotic exoskeletons used in upper-limb motor rehabilitation. This systematic review presents the advances and trends of those technologies. A lit...
Upper limb exoskeletons may confer significant mechanical advantages across a range of tasks. The potential consequences of the exoskeleton upon the user’s sensorimotor capacities however, remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was...
In the last decade, robotic-mediated rehabilitation has emerged as a potential solution to improve repetitive task training. Each device in this field has a unique development history shaped by engineers’ expertise in specific programming langu...
Teleoperation technology combines the strength and accuracy of robots with the perception and cognition abilities of human experts, allowing the robots to work as an avatar of the operator in dangerous environments. The motion compatibility and intui...
(1) Background: Motion planning is an important part of exoskeleton control that improves the wearer’s safety and comfort. However, its usage introduces the problem of trajectory planning. The objective of trajectory planning is to generate the...
Implementation of a prototype of a 4-degree of freedom (4-DOF) upper-limb exoskeleton robot for rehabilitation was described in this paper. The proposed exoskeleton robot has three DOFs at the shoulder joint and one DOF at the elbow joint. The upper-...
Exoskeletons are wearable mobile robots that combine various technologies to enable limb movement with greater strength and endurance, being used in several application areas, such as industry and medicine. In this context, this paper presents the de...
Active patient participation in the rehabilitation process after stroke has been shown to accelerate neural remodeling. The control framework of rehabilitation robots should provide appropriate assistive forces to users. An assist-as-needed (AAN) con...
In recent decades, many researchers have focused on the design and development of exoskeletons. Several strategies have been proposed to develop increasingly more efficient and biomimetic mechanisms. However, existing exoskeletons tend to be expensiv...
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