Abstract
The purpose of this work is to introduce a new parallel actuated exoskeleton architecture that can be used for multiple degree-of-freedom (DoF) biological joints. This is done in an effort to provide a better alternative for the augmentation of these joints than serial actuation. The new design can be described as a type of spherical parallel manipulator (SPM) that utilizes three 4 bar substructures to decouple and control three rotational DoFs. Four variations of the 4 bar spherical parallel manipulator (4B-SPM) are presented in this work. These include a shoulder, hip, wrist, and ankle exoskeleton. Also discussed are three different methods of actuation for the 4B-SPM, which can be implemented depending on dynamic performance requirements. This work could assist in the advancement of a future generation of parallel actuated exoskeletons that are more effective than their contemporary serial actuated counterparts.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | 051017 |
Journal | Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2018 |
Keywords
- Ankle exoskeleton
- Exoskeleton robotics
- Hip exoskeleton
- Parallel actuation
- Parallel mechanism
- Shoulder exoskeleton
- Wrist exoskeleton
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Mechanical Engineering