Robotic Exoskeleton: A Compact, Portable, and Constructing Using 3D Printer Technique for Wrist-Forearm Rehabilitation

Abstract

Regaining the activities of daily living after stroke and spinal cord injury requires repetitive and intensive tasks, meaning that rehabilitation therapy should be treated with a long duration. Thus, the need for rehabilitation devices based home is of most importance to increase the rehabilitation process and provide more comfortability for patients. This paper focuses on implementing and construction of a three degree of freedom (DOF) (flexion/extension, adduction/abduction, and pronation/supination), low cost, lightweight, and portable robotic exoskeleton for wrist-forearm rehabilitation. SolidWorks software program and 3D printer technology are used to model and construct the proposed robotic exoskeleton structure. In addition, the anthropometric parameters of the normal human lower arm are considered for this exoskeleton to provide a range of motion (ROM) and velocity for the links, joints, which matches with the anatomical structure of human and also to avoid the excesses motions over the normal range. The exoskeleton is constructed by a 3D printer utilizing polylactic acid (PLA) plastic material. The proposed implementing structure of the robotic exoskeleton shows comfortable, lightweight, simple and economic as well.

A review on EMG/EEG based control scheme of upper limb rehabilitation robots for stroke patients

“…A cheap and 2-DOF portable robotic exoskeleton for stroke patients for wrist rehabilitation was implemented with a 3D printer technique utilizing Solid Works software program and Polylactic Acid (PLA) material and controlled with gyroscope and EMG MyoWare sensors. A considerable precise range of motion and velocity is presented [ 67 ]. The NeuroLife EMG System was developed and utilized, which comprises of a wearable forearm sleeve with 150 embedded electrodes and related software and hardware to record and decode sEMG.…”

“…[ 63 ] 2020 Hand 1- DOF Pair of sEMG electrodes Low cost and lightweight Ref. [ 67 ] 2020 Wrist 2- DOF MyoWare and gyroscope Comfortable, lightweight, simple, and low cost Ref. [ 66 ] 2020 Wrist and hand 6- DOF 150 embedded electrodes Portable, comfortable and lightweight.…”

“…Article [ 63 ] presented a RobHand robotic platform and the exoskeleton, which is built on a direct-driven under-actuated serial 4-bar linkage system, supports the hand fingers in flexion and extension movements. Both articles [ 67 , 74 ] aimed to design a 3D-printed wrist rehabilitation exoskeleton. In the first article, PLA thermoplastic material was used which has a lightweight and low cost.…”

“…Maximum accuracy was obtained using RMS as a feature on the k-NN classifier. The EMG signal is recorded in the article [ 67 ] from the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (ECU), by the MyoWare sensor to provide hand rehabilitation tasks. In article [ 66 ] 150 implanted electrodes in a wearable forearm sleeve and related software and hardware to record and decode sEMG from NeuroLife EMG System.…”

Evaluation of Selective Laser Melted Ti6Al4V/ST316L Composite and Selective Laser Sintered Polyamide 12 Implants for Orthopedic Applications: Finite Element Analysis, Physical and Mechanical Characterization, in Vitro and in Vivo Biocompatibility

“…Polyamide 12 is a cost effective polymer with advantages such as resistance to corrosion and chemical degradation [15,16]. SLS is an additive manufacturing process for manufacturing polymeric components [17,18]. However, the feasibility of SLS printed polyamide 12 as a tibial tray for knee prosthesis have not been studied yet.…”