The evolution of an arm exoskeleton design for treating shoulder pathology is examined. Tradeoffs between various kinematics configurations are explored, and a device with five active degrees of freedom is proposed. Two rapid-prototype designs were built and fitted to several subjects to verify the kinematic design and determine passive link adjustments. Control modes are developed for exercise therapy and functional rehabilitation, and a distributed software architecture that incorporates computer safety monitoring is described. Although intended primarily for therapy, the exoskeleton is also used to monitor progress in strength, range of motion, and functional task performance

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This paper introduces a novel type of actuator that is investigated by ESA for force-reflection to a wearable exoskeleton. The actuator consists of a DC motor that is relocated from the joint by means of Bowden cable transmissions. The actuator shall support the development of truly ergonomic and compact wearable man-machine interfaces. Important Bowden cable transmission characteristics are discussed, which dictate a specific hardware design for such an actuator. A first prototype is shown, which was used to analyze these basic characteristics of the transmissions and to proof the overall actuation concept. A second, improved prototype is introduced, which is currently used to investigate the achievable performance as a master actuator in a master-slave control with force-feedback. Initial experimental results are presented, which show good actuator performance in a 4 channel control scheme with a slave joint. The actuator features low movement resistance in free motion and can reflect high torques during hard contact situations. High contact stability can be achieved. The actuator seems therefore well suited to be implemented into the ESA exoskeleton for space-robotic telemanipulation

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Exoskeletons are expected to be used as wearable haptic devices and power assist robot systems. We have been studyingexoskeletons to assist the human motion in daily activity and rehabilitation. The EMG (electromyogram), which directly reflects the human motion intention, has been used to control the exoskeleton without any special control equipment. This paper presents a strategy that realizes the effective adaptation of the EMG-based exoskeleton controller (i.e., robot-human interface) to any persons.

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Hand injuries are a frequent problem. The great amount of hand injuries is not only a problem for the affected people but economic consequences follow because rehabilitation takes a long time. Physical therapy after an operation is associated with high personnel expenses. To improve therapy results and reduce cost of rehabilitation a hand exoskeleton was developed. The handexoskeleton was specifically designed to accomplish requirements of medical applications. For research on control algorithms and rehabilitation programs a prototype supporting all four degrees of freedom of one finger was build. The device can be easily attached and also be adjusted to deformed and scarred hands. In view of the fact that a lot of hand injuries affect only one finger, this prototype could already be functional in physical therapy. This paper presents the construction and the control system of the hand exoskeleton and possible applications in therapy of hand injuries. For the position control a PID controller was implemented and evaluated. The resulting control system allows following of recorded trajectories with sufficient accuracy.

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This paper deals with the development of a novel exoskeleton for the robotic rehabilitation of upper extremities. The system is based on modular custom-designed actuation groups implementing high reduction ratios and redundant position measurement for securing patient safety, and joint torque sensing for guaranteeing system performance and providing application flexibility. Experimental results of the special component prototypes are reported which confirm the validity of the developed actuation groups and the potentials of the proposed exoskeleton architecture.

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