Design, optimization, and analysis of a human-machine compatibility upper extremity exoskeleton rehabilitation robot

Abstract

For rehabilitation therapy robots, the movement range, and comfort of rehabilitation are crucial to the patient’s training and recovery and are also key factors in the design and performance evaluation of rehabilitation robots. In this paper, a highly harmonized upper extremity rehabilitation robot was proposed based on the human-machine coupling system model. Meanwhile, the shoulder joint structure of the rehabilitation robot was optimized to study the workspace range of this robot, the workspace of the upper extremity rehabilitation robot was fitted based on kinematic equations and the workspace volume size for different shoulder joint angles was analyzed. Finally, the upper extremity exoskeleton rehabilitation robot prototype was used to conduct the movement range tracking experiment and human-machine compatibility experiment in healthy volunteers to verify the rehabilitation training range and movement comfort of the rehabilitation robot. The experimental results show that when the optimized upper extremity exoskeleton rehabilitation robot was used to move in the coronal plane and sagittal plane of the human body, the overlaps of the movement range of the upper extremity wrist point W and the movement range of the healthy person was 97.23% and 97.66%, respectively, while the human-machine interaction force generated during the movement was mainly concentrated in the range of 0–10 kPa, which belongs to the low-pressure range of human-machine interaction. Therefore, this upper extremity rehabilitation robot can increase the movement range of patients’ upper extremities and improve the comfort of rehabilitation training.

Dynamics analysis and simulation experiments of twist spring drive upper limb rehabilitation robot

“…However, this innovative solution is marked by a complex mechanism and a relatively high costError! Reference source not found.. Ning, Yuansheng et al proposed a highly coordinated upper limb rehabilitation robot, and optimized the shoulder joint structure of the rehabilitation robot to improve the comfort of the rehabilitation robot [5]. Ren In contrast to conventional upper limb rehabilitation robots with traditional drivers, the cabledriven mechanism offers distinct advantages, such as reducing the robotic arm's weight and improving overall driving efficiency.…”

An Optimized Stimulation Control System for Upper Limb Exoskeleton Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation Using a Fuzzy Logic-Based Pain Detection Approach

“…Researchers have also introduced designs centered around exoskeletons for robot-assisted rehabilitation, aligning with the kinematics of the human arm [ 5 , 17 ]. Furthermore, a highly integrated upper extremity rehabilitation robot that hinges on a human–machine coupling system model, recognizing the pivotal role of the shoulder joint in rehabilitation, has been proposed [ 18 ]. Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of robotic rehabilitation systems in addressing upper extremity paralysis post-stroke [ 19 ].…”

A Trade-Off between Complexity and Interaction Quality for Upper Limb Exoskeleton Interfaces

“…On the other hand, anthropomorphic designs comply with the previous definition and must incorporate JM compensation methods. From that perspective, the first possibility is to design exoskeletons with adjustable limbs [28][29][30][31][32]. However, such features must be incorporated from the beginning of the design process because they determine the mechanical structure of the exoskeleton.…”