In-Situ Measurement of Multi-Axis Torques Applied by Wearable Soft Robots for Shoulder Assistance

Decoupled, Wearable Soft Robotic Rehabilitation Device for the Upper Limb

“…Participants were informed about the study protocol and gave written consent. To measure the on-body moment, a test apparatus similar to that discussed in [19] was created (see Fig. 6).…”

“…A maximum bending moment of 4.79 ±0. 19 Nm was recorded at a mean pressure of 2.15 bar. This exceeds the previously cited maximum moment required for ADLs of 3.76 Nm [15] and 4.45 Nm [18].…”

“…A recent study [19] on a soft wearable device for the shoulder compared the moment produced when attached to a bench test, a mannequin and a human. This described significant differences between the measured moments due to anatomical simplifications of the mannequin, for example, vertical translation of the glenohumeral joint present in humans but not in the mannequin, and the ability to effectively transfer forces through soft tissue.…”

3D-printed passive bellow actuator for portable soft wearable robots

“…Several research groups have developed tendon-driven soft wearable robotic devices to assist patients in rehabilitation training and the recovery of the ability to perform activities of daily living, such as grasping, shoulder movements, or knee flexion [11][12][13]. However, since the tendons are actively driven by the motor, there are high requirements for sensing elements and closed-loop control algorithms during actuation, otherwise discomfort or injury might easily occur when driving the human body [14,15], especially when interacting with an unstructured environment in daily activities.…”