Spine-like Joint Link Mechanism to Design Wearable Assistive Devices
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Design of Spine-like Joint Link Mechanism
2.1. Structure Overview
2.2. Components Design and Fabrication
2.3. Dexterous Functionalities with Adjustable Stiffness
3. Modeling the Input–Output Relationship of a Spline-like Joint Link Mechanism
4. Experiments and Results
4.1. Substantiating the Input–Output Relationship of the SJLM
- Install a testbed while setting the SJLM at a specific angle, e.g., .
- Increase Ften gradually by a hydraulic actuation during 60 s from 0 N to 500 N.
- Decrease Ften gradually by a hydraulic actuation during 60 s from 500 N to 0 N.
- Measure Fgen while Ften is being increased and decreased.
- Repeat the above procedures for , , in sequence.
4.2. The Maximum Supporting Capabilities of the SJLM under the Maximum Tensile Force
- Apply the maximum tensile force to the SJLM.
- Push the SJLM upward by the push–pull gauge and measure the force applied to the SJLM.
- Meanwhile, measure the displacement of the SJLM by the absolute Digimatic indicator (translational displacement).
- Repeat the above procedures ten times (the applied is supposed to be above 196 N).
- Convert the measured translational stiffness into the rotational stiffness, and calculate the mean and standard deviation.
- Calculate the translational/rotational stiffness based on the measured translational/rotational displacement.
4.3. Feasible SJLM Applications: Wearable Lower-Limb and Spine Assistive Devices
- Under low-stiffness (high-flexibility) adjustment, the SJLM can provide the wearer with comfort by alleviating kinematic discrepancy and joint misalignment: As presented in [42], for instance, the HeroWear Apex suit—a biomechanically assistive garment to support the lumbar spine—is light and comfortable to wear (see Figure 10b).
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
SJLM | Spine-like joint link mechanism |
References
- Martelli, D.; Vannetti, F.; Cortese, M.; Tropea, P.; Giovacchini, F.; Micera, S.; Monaco, V.; Vitiello, N. The effects on biomechanics of walking and balance recovery in a novel pelvis exoskeleton during zero-torque control. Robotica 2014, 32, 1317–1330. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Monaco, V.; Tropea, P.; Aprigliano, F.; Martelli, D.; Parri, A.; Cortese, M.; Molino-Lova, R.; Vitiello, N.; Micera, S. An ecologically controlled exoskeleton can improve balance recovery after slippage. Sci. Rep. 2017, 7, 46721. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Farkhatdinov, I.; Ebert, J.; Van Oort, G.; Vlutters, M.; Van Asseldonk, E.; Burdet, E. Assisting human balance in standing with a robotic exoskeleton. IEEE Robot. Autom. Lett. 2019, 4, 414–421. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Louie, D.R.; Eng, J.J. Powered robotic exoskeletons in post-stroke rehabilitation of gait: A scoping review. J. Neuroeng. Rehabil. 2016, 13, 53. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Bortole, M.; Venkatakrishnan, A.; Zhu, F.; Moreno, J.C.; Francisco, G.E.; Pons, J.L.; Contreras-Vidal, J.L. The H2 robotic exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation after stroke: Early findings from a clinical study. J. Neuroeng. Rehabil. 2015, 12, 54. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Veneman, J.F.; Kruidhof, R.; Hekman, E.E.; Ekkelenkamp, R.; Van Asseldonk, E.H.; Van Der Kooij, H. Design and evaluation of the LOPES exoskeleton robot for interactive gait rehabilitation. IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 2007, 15, 379–386. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Alabdulkarim, S.; Kim, S.; Nussbaum, M.A. Effects of exoskeleton design and precision requirements on physical demands and quality in a simulated overhead drilling task. Appl. Ergon. 2019, 80, 136–145. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kim, S.; Nussbaum, M.A.; Esfahani, M.I.M.; Alemi, M.M.; Alabdulkarim, S.; Rashedi, E. Assessing the influence of a passive, upper extremity exoskeletal vest for tasks requiring arm elevation: Part I—“Expected” effects on discomfort, shoulder muscle activity, and work task performance. Appl. Ergon. 2018, 70, 315–322. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fontana, M.; Vertechy, R.; Marcheschi, S.; Salsedo, F.; Bergamasco, M. The body extender: A full-body exoskeleton for the transport and handling of heavy loads. IEEE Robot. Autom. Mag. 2014, 21, 34–44. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Asbeck, A.T.; De Rossi, S.M.; Holt, K.G.; Walsh, C.J. A biologically inspired soft exosuit for walking assistance. Int. J. Robot. Res. 2015, 34, 744–762. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gopura, R.; Bandara, D.; Kiguchi, K.; Mann, G. Developments in hardware systems of active upper-limb exoskeleton robots: A review. Robot. Auton. Syst. 2016, 75, 203–220. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gregorczyk, K.N.; Hasselquist, L.; Schiffman, J.M.; Bensel, C.K.; Obusek, J.P.; Gutekunst, D.J. Effects of a lower-body exoskeleton device on metabolic cost and gait biomechanics during load carriage. Ergonomics 2010, 53, 1263–1275. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kong, K.; Jeon, D. Design and control of an exoskeleton for the elderly and patients. IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 2006, 11, 428–432. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zoss, A.B.; Kazerooni, H.; Chu, A. Biomechanical design of the Berkeley lower extremity exoskeleton (BLEEX). IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 2006, 11, 128–138. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sankai, Y. HAL: Hybrid assistive limb based on cybernics. In Robotics Research; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2010; Volume 66, pp. 25–34. [Google Scholar]
- Strausser, K.A.; Kazerooni, H. The development and testing of a human machine interface for a mobile medical exoskeleton. In Proceedings of the 2011 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, San Francisco, CA, USA, 25–30 September 2011; pp. 4911–4916. [Google Scholar]
- Pratt, J.E.; Krupp, B.T.; Morse, C.J.; Collins, S.H. The RoboKnee: An exoskeleton for enhancing strength and endurance during walking. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, New Orleans, LA, USA, 26 April–1 May 2004; pp. 2430–2435. [Google Scholar]
- Wang, S.; Wang, L.; Meijneke, C.; Van Asseldonk, E.; Hoellinger, T.; Cheron, G.; Ivanenko, Y.; La Scaleia, V.; Sylos-Labini, F.; Molinari, M.; et al. Design and control of the MINDWALKER exoskeleton. IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 2014, 23, 277–286. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kim, H.-G.; Park, S.; Han, C. Design of a novel knee joint for an exoskeleton with good energy efficiency for load-carrying augmentation. J. Mech. Sci. Technol. 2014, 28, 4361–4367. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kim, H.-G.; Lee, J.-W.; Jang, J.; Park, S.; Han, C. Design of an exoskeleton with minimized energy consumption based on using elastic and dissipative elements. Int. J. Control Autom. Syst. 2015, 13, 463–474. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhang, T.; Huang, H. A lower-back robotic exoskeleton: Industrial handling augmentation used to provide spinal support. IEEE Robot. Autom. Mag. 2018, 25, 95–106. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lee, J.-W.; Kim, G. Design and control of a lifting assist device for preventing lower back injuries in industrial athletes. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. 2019, 20, 1825–1838. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Perry, J.C.; Rosen, J.; Burns, S. Upper-limb powered exoskeleton design. IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 2007, 12, 408–417. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gopura, R.A.R.C.; Kiguchi, K.; Li, Y. SUEFUL-7: A 7DOF upper-limb exoskeleton robot with muscle-model-oriented EMG-based control. In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, St. Louis, MO, USA, 11–15 October 2009; pp. 1126–1131. [Google Scholar]
- Chiri, A.; Vitiello, N.; Giovacchini, F.; Roccella, S.; Vecchi, F.; Carrozza, M.C. Mechatronic design and characterization of the index finger module of a hand exoskeleton for post-stroke rehabilitation. IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 2011, 17, 884–894. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wege, A.; Hommel, G. Development and control of a hand exoskeleton for rehabilitation of hand injuries. In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 2–6 August 2005; pp. 3046–3051. [Google Scholar]
- Näf, M.B.; Junius, K.; Rossini, M.; Rodriguez-Guerrero, C.; Vanderborght, B.; Lefeber, D. Misalignment compensation for full human-exoskeleton kinematic compatibility: State of the art and evaluation. Appl. Mech. Rev. 2018, 70, 050802. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Mallat, R.; Khalil, M.; Venture, G.; Bonnet, V.; Mohammed, S. Human-exoskeleton joint misalignment: A systematic review. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Biomedical Engineering, Tripoli, Lebanon, 17–19 October 2019; pp. 1–4. [Google Scholar]
- In, H.; Kang, B.B.; Sin, M.; Cho, K.-J. Exo-glove: A wearable robot for the hand with a soft tendon routing system. IEEE Robot. Autom. Mag. 2015, 22, 97–105. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yao, Z.; Linnenberg, C.; Weidner, R.; Wulfsberg, J. Development of a soft power suit for lower back assistance. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Montreal, QC, Canada, 20–24 May 2019; pp. 5103–5109. [Google Scholar]
- O’Neill, C.T.; Phipps, N.S.; Cappello, L.; Paganoni, S.; Walsh, C.J. A soft wearable robot for the shoulder: Design, characterization, and preliminary testing. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, London, UK, 17–20 July 2017; pp. 1672–1678. [Google Scholar]
- O’Neill, C.; Proietti, T.; Nuckols, K.; Clarke, M.E.; Hohimer, C.J.; Cloutier, A.; Lin, D.J.; Walsh, C.J. Inflatable soft wearable robot for reducing therapist fatigue during upper extremity rehabilitation in severe stroke. IEEE Robot. Autom. Lett. 2020, 5, 3899–3906. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Asbeck, A.T.; De Rossi, S.M.M.; Galiana, I.; Ding, Y.; Walsh, C.J. Stronger, smarter, softer: Next-generation wearable robots. IEEE Robot. Autom. Mag. 2014, 21, 22–33. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jarrassé, N.; Tagliabue, M.; Robertson, J.V.G.; Maiza, A.; Crocher, V.; Roby-Brami, A.; Morel, G. A methodology to quantify alterations in human upper limb movement during co-manipulation with an exoskeleton. IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 2010, 18, 389–397. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Jarrassé, N.; Morel, G. Connecting a human limb to an exoskeleton. IEEE Trans. Robot. 2011, 28, 697–709. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Zanotto, D.; Akiyama, Y.; Stegall, P.; Agrawal, S.K. Knee joint misalignment in exoskeletons for the lower extremities: Effects on user’s gait. IEEE Trans. Robot. 2015, 31, 978–987. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yang, X.; Huang, T.-H.; Hu, H.; Yu, S.; Zhang, S.; Zhou, X.; Carriero, A.; Yue, G.; Su, H. Spine-inspired continuum soft exoskeleton for stoop lifting assistance. IEEE Robot. Autom. Lett. 2019, 4, 4547–4554. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Winter, D.A. Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2009. [Google Scholar]
- Zollo, L.; Siciliano, B.; Laschi, C.; Teti, G.; Dario, P. An experimental study on compliance control for a redundant personal robot arm. Robot. Auton. Syst. 2003, 44, 101–129. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zollo, L.; Siciliano, B.; De Luca, A.; Guglielmelli, E.; Dario, P. Compliance control for an anthropomorphic robot with elastic joints: Theory and experiments. J. Dyn. Syst. Meas. Control 2004, 127, 321–328. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hyundai Motor Group Develops Wearable Robot. Available online: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2019/09/693_275084.html (accessed on 22 January 2022).
- Women Lift Every Day. Available online: https://herowearexo.com/suited-for-all/ (accessed on 24 January 2022).
Specification | Value | Unit | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
SJLM | Size (w × d × h) | mm | without cylinder | |
Weight | 0.250 | kg | without cylinder | |
Hydraulic Cylinder | Stroke | 60 | mm | - |
Piston radius | 25 | mm | - | |
Rod radius | 4 | mm | - | |
Weight | 0.450 | kg | - | |
Maximum force | 3347 | N | at 70 bar |
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Kim, J.-Y.; Cho, J.-S.; Kim, J.-H.; Kim, J.-T.; Han, S.-C.; Park, S.-S.; Yoon, H.-U. Spine-like Joint Link Mechanism to Design Wearable Assistive Devices. Sensors 2022, 22, 2314. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22062314
Kim J-Y, Cho J-S, Kim J-H, Kim J-T, Han S-C, Park S-S, Yoon H-U. Spine-like Joint Link Mechanism to Design Wearable Assistive Devices. Sensors. 2022; 22(6):2314. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22062314
Chicago/Turabian StyleKim, Jung-Yeong, Jung-San Cho, Jin-Hyeon Kim, Jin-Tak Kim, Sang-Chul Han, Sang-Shin Park, and Han-Ul Yoon. 2022. "Spine-like Joint Link Mechanism to Design Wearable Assistive Devices" Sensors 22, no. 6: 2314. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22062314