Development of a method and instruments to assess the build quality and the technical condition of an electric gear actuator for an electromechanical orthosis of a lower limb exoskeleton

Abstract

This paper proposes a method and instruments for assessing the build quality and the technical condition of an electric gear actuator for an exoskeleton based on determining its starting torque as one of the main indicators of the level of degradation of its components. Existing methods are mainly based on identifying starting torque with the help of additional devices that require involvement of an operator in the measurement process, which increases its time and labor costs and makes it difficult to be automated. As opposed to the existing methods and instruments, the method and hardware-software complex developed in this study allow automating the measurement process, does not require expensive equipment, and has potential for conducting technical state control without dismounting an actuator from an exoskeleton. In the experimental part of this paper, the proposed method and tools were evaluated on the basis of electric actuators with reduction gears for an electromechanical orthosis of a lower limb exoskeleton. According to the experimental results, the discrepancy between the values of starting torque obtained separately by an existing method and by the proposed one is within 1.8%, which confirms the efficacy and applicability of the developed method for monitoring the technical condition of electric actuators for exoskeletons both at the stage of their production and during their operation.