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Actuators
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Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics
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Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Actuators for Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 9827

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiangrong Shen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
Interests: assistive and rehabilitation robotics: including robotic lower-limb prostheses, portable lower-limb orthoses/exoskeletons; legged/wheeled robotic platforms for assistive and therapeutic purposes
Dr. Vishesh Vikas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agile Robotics Lab (ARL), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406, USA
Interests: inertial sensing; soft robotics; bio-inspired robotics; tensegrity mechanisms; optimal estimation; robot control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern assistive and rehabilitation robotic systems physically interact with human users to serve a variety of important purposes: assisting frail older adults and individuals with disabilities in daily living; reducing muscle efforts in strenuous physical activities; conducting physical therapeutic training for stroke survivors and individuals with spinal cord injuries, etc.  In these robotic systems, actuators play an important role in powering the robot's actions and enabling effective physical interaction between robots and human users.  In this Special Issue, we welcome original contributions to actuator-related research in assistive and rehabilitation robotics. Topics include (but are not limited to) compliant and soft actuators, novel actuators for human–robot interaction, cable actuators, muscle-like actuators, series elastic actuators, high-performance actuators, and novel actuator controllers.

Prof. Dr. Xiangrong Shen
Dr. Vishesh Vikas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • actuators
  • assistive robots
  • rehabilitation robots
  • soft robotics
  • human–robot interaction
  • muscle actuators
  • series elastic actuators
  • actuator control

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3435 KiB  
Article
Design and Evaluation of the Sit-to-Stand Movement Assistive Device for Elderly
by Yicun Xu, Bo Zhang, Yongzhen Li, Ruihua Guo, Pei Cao, Xiaofeng Zhu and Shangkai Zhu
Actuators 2024, 13(3), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13030102 - 5 Mar 2024
Viewed by 986
Abstract
The act of standing up is one of the most important movements in daily life, but it often poses challenges for elderly individuals with declining physical functions. To address this issue, we have designed an assistive device for sit-to-stand (STS) movement. This device [...] Read more.
The act of standing up is one of the most important movements in daily life, but it often poses challenges for elderly individuals with declining physical functions. To address this issue, we have designed an assistive device for sit-to-stand (STS) movement. This device aids the upper limbs, allowing them to bear some of the weight during the STS movement, thereby improving the force distribution on the lower limbs and enhancing the stability of the body during movement. The connection to the user is very straightforward; one simply needs to place their hands and arms on the lifting mechanism to connect, and after the STS movement is completed, the user can easily disengage, making it very convenient to use. The device is compact, equipped with wheels and a handle, allowing it to be flexibly moved and used in confined spaces such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and balconies. ADAMS-LifeMOD simulations indicate that the use of the STS movement assistive device can significantly improve the force distribution across the joints of the lower limbs and reduce the pressure on the soles of the feet against the ground. Subsequently, a prototype was built, and four volunteers were invited to conduct further experimental validation, comparing the changes in plantar pressure during the STS movement with and without the assistive device, as well as the subjective feelings of the users. The experimental results demonstrate that the device can effectively help users to stand up more easily. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics)
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29 pages, 10949 KiB  
Article
HBS-1.2: Lightweight Socially Assistive Robot with 6-Ply Twisted Coiled Polymer Muscle-Actuated Hand
by Abhishek Pratap Singh, Darshan Palani, Onan Ahmed, Pawandeep Singh Matharu, Tristan Linn, Trung Nguyen and Yonas Tadesse
Actuators 2023, 12(8), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12080312 - 1 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2072
Abstract
In this paper, a new socially assistive robot (SARs) called HBS-1.2 is presented, which uses 6-ply twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) artificial muscles in its hand to perform physical tasks. The utilization of 6-ply TCP artificial muscles in a humanoid robot hand is [...] Read more.
In this paper, a new socially assistive robot (SARs) called HBS-1.2 is presented, which uses 6-ply twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) artificial muscles in its hand to perform physical tasks. The utilization of 6-ply TCP artificial muscles in a humanoid robot hand is a pioneering advancement, offering cost effective, lightweight, and compact solution for SARs. The robot is designed to provide safer human–robot interaction (HRI) while performing physical tasks. The paper explains the procedures for fabrication and testing of the 6-ply TCP artificial muscles, along with improving the actuation response by using a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control method. Notably, the robot successfully performed a vision-based pick and place experiment, showing its potential for use in homecare and other settings to assist patients who suffer from neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. The study also found an optimal light intensity range between 34 to 108 lumens/m2, which ensures minimal variation in calculated distance with 95% confidence intervals for robust performance from the vison system. The findings of this study have important implications for the development of affordable and accessible robotic systems to support elderly patients with dementia, and future research should focus on further improving the use of TCP actuators in robotics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics)
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22 pages, 5074 KiB  
Article
Computational Control Strategy for Reducing Medial Compartment Load in Knee Bracing with Embedded Actuator
by Mahdi Bamdad and Amirhosein Javanfar
Actuators 2023, 12(6), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12060256 - 19 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1444
Abstract
Medial unloader braces represent a primary noninvasive approach for alleviating knee pain. However, conventional valgus unloader braces, while reducing load on the medial compartment, inadvertently increase load on the lateral compartment through rotation from adduction to abduction. This phenomenon significantly elevates the risk [...] Read more.
Medial unloader braces represent a primary noninvasive approach for alleviating knee pain. However, conventional valgus unloader braces, while reducing load on the medial compartment, inadvertently increase load on the lateral compartment through rotation from adduction to abduction. This phenomenon significantly elevates the risk of damage to the lateral compartment. To address this issue, we introduce a novel embedded actuation mechanism that unloads the knee using a pioneering computational procedure. By considering the knee osteoarthritis condition, we propose the calculation of the adduction knee angle and cartilage penetration depth as surrogate parameters for assessing knee pain. Accordingly, the newly developed unloader brace redistributes the load by precisely correcting the abduction angle. Additionally, we determine the maximum required torque for effectively tracking the desired abduction angle. Then, the saturated torque through the robust control method is applied in the presence of interaction force uncertainty between the orthosis and the user. A very small femur rotation change (1.7°) from adduction to abduction in the frontal plane is adequate to significantly reduce the medial contact force (around 886 N). The required robust external abduction torque is determined to be 27.6 Nm. The result shows that the novel procedure and brace prevent excessive overloading of the lateral compartment while it unloads the medial compartment sufficiently. This innovative approach offers significant potential for optimizing unloader brace design and enhancing the management of knee osteoarthritis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics)
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19 pages, 15859 KiB  
Article
Development of an Active Physical Interface for Physical Human-Robot Interaction: Investigation of Soft Pneumatic Actuator Straps for Automatic Enclosure System
by Christopher van Vlerken, Felipe Ballen-Moreno, Ellen Roels, Pasquale Ferrentino, Kevin Langlois, Bram Vanderborght and Tom Verstraten
Actuators 2023, 12(6), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12060241 - 9 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1335
Abstract
Wearable robots have become increasingly prevalent in various applications, including rehabilitation, power augmentation, and assistance. However, one of the challenges in designing wearable robots is how to attach them to the human body. The attachment method should be secure, reliable, comfortable, effective, and [...] Read more.
Wearable robots have become increasingly prevalent in various applications, including rehabilitation, power augmentation, and assistance. However, one of the challenges in designing wearable robots is how to attach them to the human body. The attachment method should be secure, reliable, comfortable, effective, and controlled for the user. Moreover, the attachment points should not interfere with the user’s daily activities, and the attachment process should not be time-consuming or complicated. Typical straps nowadays require a time-consuming and cumbersome donning and doffing procedure from therapists for users needing rehabilitation therapy. Therefore, we propose a novel pneumatically actuated soft strap to enclose the limb and automate part of the strapping procedure. This paper proposes a preliminary design utilizing soft bending actuators for attaching physical interfaces to humans, with integrated active elements for facilitating and automating the strapping process. Finite element analysis was conducted to assess pressure requirements, bending curvature, and geometry, with simulation results demonstrating a promising agreement, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.4° in bending angle. In the future, an additional locking mechanism would be required to provide the necessary holding force and fully constrain the limb. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics)
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20 pages, 3809 KiB  
Article
Analysis and Validation of Sensitivity in Torque-Sensitive Actuators
by Minh Tran, Lukas Gabert and Tommaso Lenzi
Actuators 2023, 12(2), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12020080 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2010
Abstract
Across different fields within robotics, there is a great need for lightweight, efficient actuators with human-like performance. Linkage-based passive variable transmissions and torque-sensitive transmissions have emerged as promising solutions to meet this need by significantly increasing actuator efficiency and power density, but their [...] Read more.
Across different fields within robotics, there is a great need for lightweight, efficient actuators with human-like performance. Linkage-based passive variable transmissions and torque-sensitive transmissions have emerged as promising solutions to meet this need by significantly increasing actuator efficiency and power density, but their modeling and analysis remain an open research topic. In this paper, we introduce the sensitivity between input displacement and output torque as a key metric to analyze the performance of these complex mechanisms in dynamic tasks. We present the analytical model of sensitivity in the context of two different torque-sensitive transmission designs, and used this sensitivity metric to analyze the differences in their performance. Experiments with these designs implemented within a powered knee prosthesis were conducted, and results validated the sensitivity model as well as its role in predicting actuators’ dynamic performance. Together with other design methods, sensitivity analysis is a valuable tool for designers to systematically analyze and create transmission systems capable of human-like physical behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics)
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Review

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44 pages, 9094 KiB  
Review
Handbike for Daily Use, Sport, and Rehabilitation Purposes: A Literature Review of Actuation and Technical Characteristics
by Michele Sanguinetta, Giovanni Incerti, Cinzia Amici and Giovanni Legnani
Actuators 2024, 13(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13020050 - 26 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1206
Abstract
With respect to alternative devices like traditional wheelchairs, handbikes can offer advantages from biomechanical and physiological perspectives, to several kinds of users. Assuring high mechanical efficiency and homogeneous force distributions along cycles, and being suitable for indoor and outdoor activities, these systems are [...] Read more.
With respect to alternative devices like traditional wheelchairs, handbikes can offer advantages from biomechanical and physiological perspectives, to several kinds of users. Assuring high mechanical efficiency and homogeneous force distributions along cycles, and being suitable for indoor and outdoor activities, these systems are used for rehabilitation, sports, and daily applications. From a technical perspective, their main characteristics can vary with the device final purpose and operational context. This review aims to provide an overall outline of handbikes in the literature from a general and comprehensive point of view, up until 2022. The analysis is performed (i) with a systematic approach, without a priori limitations on document type and content focus, and (ii) to identify the areas of interest for the scientific development of these systems. A systematic evaluation method for the identification and analysis of the documents was designed and implemented and the selection criteria, as well as the rationale for the procedure, are described. A specific taxonomy was defined and applied for the subsequent analysis, and each category is specifically evaluated and described, detailing the main outcomes of the literature analysis and relative discussion. Particular attention is paid to actuation strategies and propulsion efficiency. Finally, the main results of the work and future developments for handbikes are briefly synthesized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics)
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