Upper limb exosuit cable routing optimization

Bardi, Elena; Ambrosini, Emilia; Pirelli, A; Pedrocchi, Alessandra; Braghin, Francesco; Covarrubias, M; Gandolla, Marta

doi:10.1109/icorr55369.2022.9896594

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Additionally, exosuits utilize flexible drive units with Bowden cables to connect the ankle joint and thigh, delivering active assistance during ankle plantar flexion, consequently reducing metabolic consumption and muscle output (He et al, 2023).These exosuits contribute significantly to assisting the elderly in various tasks across different scenarios. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the attachment points or routing positions of most exoskeleton suits are typically determined based on experiential and intuitive knowledge, with only a limited number of exosuits being optimized for factors such as stiffness (Wu et al, 2019), cable tension (Grosu et al, 2018), joint torque (Prasad et al, 2023), or metabolic factors (Bardi et al, 2022). In Prasad et al (2022) a promising design option is proposed for a lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Human-like Walking with Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Control Features: Personalized Attachment Point Optimization Method of Cable-Driven Exoskeleton

Chen,

Yu,

Benali

et al. 2024

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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The cable-driven exoskeleton can avoid joint misalignment, and is substantial alterations in the pattern of muscle synergy coordination, which arouse more attention in recent years to facilitate exercise for older adults and improve their overall quality of life. This study leverages principles from neuroscience and biomechanical analysis to select attachment points for cable-driven soft exoskeletons. By extracting key features of human movement, the objective is to develop a subject-specific design methodology that provides precise and personalized support in the attachment points optimization of cable-driven exoskeleton to achieve natural gait, energy efficiency, and muscle coordination controllable in the domain of human mobility and rehabilitation. To achieve this, the study first analyzes human walking experimental data and extracts biomechanical features. These features are then used to generate trajectories, allowing better natural movement under complete cable-driven exoskeleton control. Next, a genetic algorithm-based method is employed to minimize energy consumption and optimize the attachment points of the cable-driven system. This process identifies connections that are better suited for the human model, leading to improved efficiency and natural movement. By comparing the calculated elderly human model driven by exoskeleton with experimental subject in terms of joint angles, joint torques and muscle forces, the human model can successfully replicate subject movement and the cable output forces can mimic human muscle coordination. The optimized cable attachment points facilitate more natural and efficient collaboration between humans and the exoskeleton, making significant contributions to the field of assisting the elderly in rehabilitation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Human-like Walking with Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Control Features: Personalized Attachment Point Optimization Method of Cable-Driven Exoskeleton

Chen,

Yu,

Benali

et al. 2024

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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“…While extensive research exists on the design and optimization of lower-limb exoskeletons utilizing musculoskeletal simulations [18][19][20][21], limited attention has been given to the development and optimization of exosuits, especially for the upper limbs [22][23][24][25][26][27]. Currently, there is a notable absence of quantitative models and optimization techniques for the creation of soft upper-limb exosuits and their examination concerning human biomechanics via musculoskeletal simulations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is worth noting that the studies conducted by Bardi et al [26] and Sambhav et al [25] have explored the potential of elbow exosuits through musculoskeletal simulations, but their work has several limitations. Firstly, they employ a simplified two-degree-of-freedom (DOF) model featuring only six muscles, overlooking the complexity of the human arm, potentially leading to unnatural movements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Framework for Modeling, Optimization, and Musculoskeletal Simulation of an Elbow–Wrist Exosuit

KhalilianMotamed Bonab,

Chiaradia,

Frisoli

et al. 2024

Robotics

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The light weight and compliance of exosuits are valuable benefits not present rigid exoskeleton devices, yet these intriguing features make it challenging to properly model and simulate their interaction with the musculoskeletal system. Tendon-driven exosuits adopt an electrical motor combined with pulleys and cable transmission in the actuation stage. An important aspect of the design of these systems for the load transfer efficacy and comfort of the user is the anchor point positioning. In this paper, we propose a framework, whose first purpose is as a design methodology for the synthesis of an exosuit device, achieved by optimizing the anchor point location. The optimization procedure finds the best 3D position of the anchor points based on the interaction forces between the exosuit and the upper arm. The computation of the forces is based on the combination of a mathematical model of a wrist–elbow exosuit and a dynamic model of the upper arm. Its second purpose is the simulation of the kinematic and physiological effects of the interaction between the arm, the exosuit, and the complex upper limb musculoskeletal system. It offers insights into muscular and exoskeleton loading during operation. The presented experiments involve the development and validation of personalized musculoskeletal models, with kinematic, anthropometric, and electromyographic data measured in a load-lifting task. Simulation of the exosuit operation—coupled with the musculoskeletal model—showed the efficacy of the suit in assisting the wrist and elbow muscles and provided interesting highlights about the impact of the assistance on shoulder muscles. Finally, we provide a possible design of an elbow and wrist exosuit based on the optimized results.

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