AtlasArm: An Exoskeleton Arm for Muscular Rehabilitation Patients and Beyond

Abstract

Over the past few decades, significant research has led to the development of powered exoskeletons, whose applications range from muscular rehabilitation to protecting military personnel. Exoskeletons are able to augment the wearer’s strength and endurance through various actuation methods. This report details the design, development, and fabrication of a pneumatic exoskeleton arm, with the focus on assisting rehabilitation patients, and also with the potential for application in other spheres. The primary goals of this project were 1) to develop a lightweight and cost-efficient exoskeleton, 2) to provide users more degrees of freedom in their movement compared to previous exoskeleton designs, 3) to exceed the lifting capacity of comparable exo-skeleton arms, 4) to design the sensor-actuation system in a manner that minimized the stress concentration of the load on the user, and 5) to develop a control system that was smooth, accurate, and responsive. To these ends, two arms were built, which will be discussed in detail in this report. One, a mobile, wearable exoskeleton which passively assists the shoulder and actively augments elbow flexion and extension. And two, a mounted arm illustrating the upper bounds of the sensor-actuator system, that can augment strength by 60 pounds.