Special Issue: Active Exoskeletons; Guest Editor: Miomir VukobratovicNo Access

UPPER LIMB POWERED EXOSKELETON

JACOB ROSEN

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Box 352500, Seattle, Washington, 98195-2500, USA

Search for more papers by this author

and

JOEL C. PERRY

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Box 352500, Seattle, Washington, 98195-2500, USA

Search for more papers by this author

https://doi.org/10.1142/S021984360700114XCited by:54 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

An exoskeleton is a wearable robot with joints and links corresponding to those of the human body. With applications in rehabilitation medicine, virtual reality simulation, and teleoperation, exoskeletons offer benefits for both disabled and healthy populations. Analytical and experimental approaches were used to develop, integrate, and study a powered exoskeleton for the upper limb and its application as an assistive device. The kinematic and dynamic dataset of the upper limb during daily living activities was one among several factors guiding the development of an anthropomorphic, seven degree-of-freedom, powered arm exoskeleton. Additional design inputs include anatomical and physiological considerations, workspace analyses, and upper limb joint ranges of motion. Proximal placement of motors and distal placement of cable-pulley reductions were incorporated into the design, leading to low inertia, high-stiffness links, and back-drivable transmissions with zero backlash. The design enables full glenohumeral, elbow, and wrist joint functionality. Establishing the human-machine interface at the neural level was facilitated by the development of a Hill-based muscle model (myoprocessor) that enables intuitive interaction between the operator and the wearable robot. Potential applications of the exoskeleton as a wearable robot include (i) an assistive (orthotic) device for human power amplifications, (ii) a therapeutic and diagnostics device for physiotherapy, (iii) a haptic device in virtual reality simulation, and (iv) a master device for teleoperation.

Keywords:

References

B. Hannaford , The Robot in the Garden: Telerobotics and Telepistemology in the Age of the Internet , ed. J. K. Goldberg ( MIT Press , Cambridge, MA , 2000 ) . Google Scholar
S. C. Jacobsenet al., High performance, high dexterity, force reflective teleoperator, Proc. 38th Int. Conf. Remote Systems Technology (1990) pp. 180–185. Google Scholar
B. Hannaford and S. Venema, Virtual Environment and Advanced Interface Design, eds. W. Barfield and T. A. Furness (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1995) pp. 415–436. Google Scholar
J. M. Hollerbach and S. C. Jacobsen , Haptic interfaces for teleoperation and virtual environments , 1st Workshop on Simulation and Interaction in Virtual Environments ( 1995 ) . Google Scholar
G. C. Burdea, Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1996) p. 339. Google Scholar
B. M. Jau, Anthropomorhic exoskeleton dual arm/hand telerobot controller, IEEE Int. Workshop on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (IEEE Press, 1988) pp. 715–718. Google Scholar
F. P. Brooks Jr.et al., Comput. Graph. 24(4), 177 (1990). Crossref, Google Scholar
M. Bergamascoet al., An arm exoskeleton system for teleoperation and virtual environments applications, IEEE Int. Conf. Robotics and Automation (ICRA)2 (IEEE Press, 1994) pp. 1449–1454. Google Scholar
D. G. Caldwell, O. Kocak and U. Andersen, Multi-armed dexterous manipulator operation using glove/exoskeleton control and sensory feedback, IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), "Human Robot Interaction and Cooperative Robots"2 (IEEE Press, 1995) pp. 567–572. Google Scholar
D. W. Reppergeret al., Human tracking studies involving an actively powered augmented exoskeleton, IEEE 15th Southern Biomedical Engineering Conf. (IEEE Press, 1996) pp. 28–31. Google Scholar
Y. Umetaniet al., "Skil Mate" wearable exoskeleton robot, IEEE Int. Conf. Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC)4 (IEEE Press, 1999) pp. 984–988. Google Scholar
L. Sooyonget al., A new exoskeleton-type masterarm with force reflection: Controller and integration, IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)3 (IEEE Press, 1999) pp. 1438–1443. Google Scholar
L. Sooyonget al., A new master-arm for man-machine interface, IEEE Int. Conf. Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC)4 (IEEE Press, 1999) pp. 1038–1043. Google Scholar
A. Frisoli et al. , A new force-feedback arm exoskeleton for haptic interaction in virtual environments , Proc. 1st Joint Eurohaptics Conf. and IEEE Symp. Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems ( IEEE Press , 2005 ) . Google Scholar
C. Carignan, M. Liszka and S. Roderick, Design of an exoskeleton with scapula motion for shoulder rehabilitation, IEEE Int. Conf. Advanced Robotics (ICAR) (IEEE Press, Seattle, USA, 2005) pp. 524–531. Google Scholar
K. Kiguchiet al., Exoskeleton for human upper-limb motion support, IEEE Int. Conf. Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (IEEE Press, 2003) pp. 2206–2211. Google Scholar
G. N. Tsagarakis and D. G. Caldwell, Autonom. Robots 15(1), 21 (2003), DOI: 10.1023/A:1024484615192. Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
M. Mihelj , T. Nef and R. Riener , ARMin — Toward a six doF upper limb rehabilitation robot , IEEE/RAS-EMBS Int. Conf. Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob) ( IEEE Press , 2006 ) . Google Scholar
P. Brownet al., The exoskeleton glove for control of para-lyzed hands, IEEE Int. Conf. Robotics and Automation (ICRA)1 (IEEE Press, 1993) pp. 642–647. Google Scholar
B. M. Jau, Dexterous telemanipulation with four fingered hand system, IEEE Int. Conf. Robotics and Automation (ICRA)1 (IEEE Press, 1995) pp. 338–343. Google Scholar
D. P. Ferris, J. M. Czerniecki and B. Hannaford, Appl. Biomech. 21, 189 (2005). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
A. Zoss, H. Kazerooni and A. Chu, IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 11(2), (2006), DOI: 10.1109/TMECH.2006.871087. Google Scholar
H. Kazerooni and R. Steger, ASME J. Dynam. Syst. Measure. Cont. 128, (2006). Google Scholar
H. Kazerooni, R. Steger and L. Huang, Int. J. Robot. Res. 25(5–6), (2006), DOI: 10.1177/0278364906065505. Google Scholar
E. Guizzo and H. Goldstein, IEEE Spectrum (2005). Google Scholar
R. S. Mosher, Electro-Tech. 138, (1960). Google Scholar
General Electric Company, Exoskeleton prototype project, final report on phase I, Report S-67-1011, Schenectady, New York (1966) . Google Scholar
General Electric Company, Hardiman I prototype project, special interim study, Report S-68-1060, Schenectady, New York (1968) . Google Scholar
B. J. Makinson, Research and development prototype for machine augmentation of human strength and endurance, Hardiman I project, Report S-71-106, GE Company, Schenectady, New York (1971) . Google Scholar
P. Rabischong, Robotics for the handicapped, Proc. IFAC Control Aspects of Prosthetics and Orthotics (IFAC) (1982) pp. 163–167. Google Scholar
H. Kazerooni and H. Ming-Gau, IEEE Trans. Robot. Autom. 10(4), 453 (1994), DOI: 10.1109/70.313096. Crossref, Google Scholar
H. Kazerooni and T. J. Snyder, J. Guid. Contr. Dynam. 18(1), 108 (1995), DOI: 10.2514/3.56664. Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
H. Kazerooni, Robot. Autonom. Syst. 19, 179 (1996), DOI: 10.1016/S0921-8890(96)00045-0. Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
T. J. Snyder and H. Kazerooni, A novel material handling system, IEEE Int. Conf. Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (IEEE Press, 1996) pp. 1147–1152. Google Scholar
G. F. Franklin , J. D. Powell and M. L. Workman , Digital Control of Dynamic Systems , 3rd edn. ( Addison-Wesley , Menlo Park, USA , 1998 ) . Google Scholar
D. A. Winter , Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement , 2nd edn. ( John Wiley & Sons , New York , 1992 ) . Google Scholar
B. A. Garner and M. G. Pandy, Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 2, 107 (1999), DOI: 10.1080/10255849908907981. Crossref, Google Scholar
J. C. Perry and J. Rosen , Design of a 7 degree-of-freedom upper-limb powered exoskeleton , IEEE/RAS-EMBS Int. Conf. Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob) ( IEEE Press , 2006 ) . Google Scholar
E. Cavallaroet al., IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 53(11), 2387 (2006), DOI: 10.1109/TBME.2006.880883. Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
J. Rosen, M. B. Fuchs and M. Arcan, Comput. Biomed. Res. 32(5), 415 (1999), DOI: 10.1006/cbmr.1999.1524. Crossref, Google Scholar
J. Rosenet al., IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. A 31(3), 210 (2001), DOI: 10.1109/3468.925661. Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
Military Handbook Anthropometry of US Military Personal, DOD-HDBK-747A (1991) . Google Scholar
Investigation of Internal Properties of the Human Body, DOT HS-801 430 (1975) . Google Scholar