Evaluation of an assistive upper-limb exoskeleton for severely impaired patients (original) (raw)
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Upper-limb actuated exoskeleton for muscular dystrophy patients: preliminary results *
2019
Being able to perform a lost movement is an important experience towards increased independence and self-esteem, particularly for neuromuscular patients, who see their muscles weaken day after day. In this pilot study, preliminary results on the testing of a motorized upper-limb exoskeleton for muscular dystrophy patients are presented. The mechatronic system is a five Degrees of Freedom exoskeleton, which acts at shoulder, elbow, and wrist levels. It is designed to help severely impaired people to regain independence during daily-life activities. While wearing the exoskeleton, the user has the direct control of the system by actively piloting the position of end-effector by means of joystick or vocal control. The usability of the system and a quantitative assessment of arm functionality with and without the exoskeleton are evaluated on five muscular dystrophy patients. According to the objective functional benefit evaluation performed through the PUL scale, all participants strongl...
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Background Upper limb assistive devices can compensate for muscular weakness and empower the user in the execution of daily activities. Multiple devices have been recently proposed but there is still a lack in the scientific comparison of their efficacy. Methods We conducted a cross-over multi-centric randomized controlled trial to assess the functional improvement at the upper limb level of two arms supports on 36 patients with muscular dystrophy. Participants tested a passive device (i.e., Wrex by Jaeco) and a semi-active solution for gravity compensation (i.e., Armon Ayura). We evaluated devices’ effectiveness with an externally-assessed scale (i.e., Performance of the Upper Limb-PUL-module), a self-perceived scale (i.e., Abilhand questionnaire), and a usability scale (i.e., System Usability Scale). Friedman’s test was used to assess significant functional gain for PUL module and Abilhand questionnaire. Moreover, PUL changes were compared by means of the Friedman’s test. Results ...
Functional and usability assessment of a robotic exoskeleton arm to support activities of daily life
Robotica, 2014
SUMMARYAn assistive device for upper limb support was developed and evaluated in terms of usability, user satisfaction and motor performance on six end-users affected by neuro-motor disorders (three spinal cord injury; one multiple sclerosis; two Friedreich's ataxia). The system consisted of a lightweight 3-degrees-of-freedom robotic exoskeleton arm for weight relief, equipped with electromagnetic brakes. Users could autonomously control the brakes using a USB-button or residual electromyogram activations. The system functionally supported all of the potential users in performing reaching and drinking tasks. For three of them, time, smoothness, straightness and repeatability were also comparable to healthy subjects. An overall high level of usability (system usability score, median value of 90/100) and user satisfaction (Tele-healthcare Satisfaction Questionnaire - Wearable Technology, median value of 104/120) were obtained for all subjects.
Assistive Robotic Exoskeleton for Helping Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy
International Conference on Mechatronics, Electronics and Automotive Engineering, 2013
The Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) is a heterogeneous group of muscle diseases; this is manifested by a progressive loss of the strength of the muscles of the pelvic and shoulders girdles. Several devices that can compensate for the loss of some motors skills have been developed in support for the activities of patients presenting such dystrophy. Those devices include the pole or treadmill that can be used with an exoskeleton to improve the phase of displacement among other activities. This work shows a new mechanical design for a robotic-exoskeleton with seven movement axis, having as purpose to help people, with certain LGMD dystrophy or diseases characteristics, in generate movements of flexion/extension in the lower extremity joints and realize the gait cycle. All of the design movement's analysis is simulated in Solidworks® and OpenSim® software.
Applied Sciences, 2021
Wheelchair mounted upper limb exoskeletons offer an alternative way to support disabled individuals in their activities of daily living (ADL). Key challenges in exoskeleton technology include innovative mechanical design and implementation of a control method that can assure a safe and comfortable interaction between the human upper limb and exoskeleton. In this article, we present a mechanical design of a four degrees of freedom (DOF) wheelchair mounted upper limb exoskeleton. The design takes advantage of non-backdrivable mechanism that can hold the output position without energy consumption and provide assistance to the completely paralyzed users. Moreover, a PD-based trajectory tracking control is implemented to enhance the performance of human exoskeleton system for two different tasks. Preliminary results are provided to show the effectiveness and reliability of using the proposed design for physically disabled people.