Design and Characterization of a Lightweight and Fully Portable Remote Actuation System for Use With a Hand Exoskeleton
Design and Characterization of a Lightweight and Fully Portable Remote Actuation System for Use With a Hand Exoskeleton
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DOI：
10.1109/lra.2016.2528296
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发表时间：
2016-07-01
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
Gassert, Roger
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Nycz, Christopher J.;Butzer, Tobias;Gassert, Roger
让手部活动能力较差的人能够在家中使用便携式外骨骼，有可能提供强度更大且与日常生活活动相关的康复治疗。过去已经探索了各种手外骨骼设计，然而，设备对于目标用户来说仍然是不可携带且笨重的。在这里，我们研究了一种用于可穿戴手部外骨骼的远程驱动系统，该系统将重量从虚弱的肢体转移到肩膀，减轻用户的负担并提高便携性。使用推拉式鲍登电缆将致动器力从背包传输到手上，并严格注意系统总重量、尺寸和目标人群的需求。我们介绍了该系统的设计和集成到先前提出的手外骨骼中，以及其特征。集成远程驱动将外骨骼重量减少了 56%，降至 113 克，且不会对功能产生不利影响。驱动系统总重量保持在 754 克。鲍登电缆传输固有的位置精度损失通过传输输出的闭环位置控制得到补偿。所实现的重量减轻使手部外骨骼更适合目标用户，这将允许研究其在提供长时间、高强度和有针对性的康复以及功能辅助方面的有效性。
Enabling individuals who are living with reduced mobility of the hand to utilize portable exoskeletons at home has the potential to deliver rehabilitation therapies with a greater intensity and relevance to activities of daily living. Various hand exoskeleton designs have been explored in the past, however, devices have remained nonportable and cumbersome for the intended users. Here we investigate a remote actuation system for wearable hand exoskeletons, which moves weight from the weakened limb to the shoulders, reducing the burden on the user and improving portability. A push-pull Bowden cable was used to transmit actuator forces from a backpack to the hand with strict attention paid to total system weight, size, and the needs of the target population. We present the design and integration of this system into a previously presented hand exoskeleton, as well as its characterization. Integration of remote actuation reduced the exoskeleton weight by 56% to 113g without adverse effects to functionality. Total actuation system weight was kept to 754g. The loss of positional accuracy inherent with Bowden cable transmissions was compensated for through closed loop positional control of the transmission output. The achieved weight reduction makes hand exoskeletons more suitable to the intended user, which will permit the study of their effectiveness in providing long duration, high intensity, and targeted rehabilitation as well as functional assistance.