Abstract
Abstract. The target of this paper is to design a lightweight upper limb rehabilitation robot with space training based on end-effector configuration and to evaluate the performance of the proposed mechanism. In order to implement this purpose, an equivalent mechanism to the human being upper limb is proposed before the design. Then, a 4 degrees of freedom (DOF) end-effector-based upper limb rehabilitation robot configuration is designed to help stroke patients perform space rehabilitation training of the shoulder flexion/extension and adduction/abduction and elbow flexion/extension. Thereafter, its kinematical model is established together with the proposed equivalent upper limb mechanism. The Monte Carlo method is employed to establish their workspace. The results show that the overlap of the workspace between the proposed mechanism and the equivalent mechanism is 96.61 %. In addition, this paper also constructs a human–machine closed-chain mechanism to analyze the flexibility of the mechanism. According to the relative manipulability and manipulability ellipsoid, the highly flexible area of the mechanism accounts for 67.6 %, and the mechanism is far away from the singularity on the drinking trajectory. In the end, the single-joint training experiments and a drinking water training trajectory planning experiment are developed and the prototype is manufactured to verify it.
Highlights
Strokes affect thousands of people around the world, and nearly half of stroke survivors suffer from upper limb defects, which makes it difficult for them to perform activities of daily living (ADL) independently
This paper proposes a 4 degrees of freedom (DOF) end-effector-based upper limb rehabilitation robot according to the proposed configuration, Mech
The results show that the upper limb rehabilitation can assist the upper limbs in performing rehabilitation training with multiple DOFs well
Summary
Strokes affect thousands of people around the world, and nearly half of stroke survivors suffer from upper limb defects, which makes it difficult for them to perform activities of daily living (ADL) independently. Compared to the robots with the closed-chain linkage mechanisms, this type of robot increases the function of assisting the human shoulder joints in performing flexion and extension training, so it can drive the human upper limbs to move in three-dimensional space. A characteristic of the end-effector-based-type upper limb rehabilitation robots is that it does need to be aligned with the physiological axes of the human joints during training, but it means that it cannot implement accurate singlejoint rehabilitation training for patients. Compared with the end-effector-based robot, the exoskeleton robot can drive the patient’s limbs to perform three-dimensional rehabilitation training, especially the large-ROM flexion/extension training of the human shoulder. Different from the desktop-type end-effector-based robot, the proposed robot can provide a wide range of shoulder flexion/extension training for the human upper limb and cover the ROM of the upper limb.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
