Design and characterization of the OpenWrist: A robotic wrist exoskeleton for coordinated hand-wrist rehabilitation

TitleDesign and characterization of the OpenWrist: A robotic wrist exoskeleton for coordinated hand-wrist rehabilitation
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference2017
AuthorsPezent, E, Rose, CG, Deshpande, AD, O'Malley, MK
Conference NameInternational Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR)
Date Published07/2017
PublisherIEEE
Conference LocationLondon, UK
ISBN Number978-1-5386-2296-4
Accession Number17101528
Abstract

Robotic devices have been clinically verified for use in long duration and high intensity rehabilitation needed for motor recovery after neurological injury. Targeted and coordinated hand and wrist therapy, often overlooked in rehabilitation robotics, is required to regain the ability to perform activities of daily living. To this end, a new coupled hand-wrist exoskeleton has been designed. This paper details the design of the wrist module and several human-related considerations made to maximize its potential as a coordinated hand-wrist device. The serial wrist mechanism has been engineered to facilitate donning and doffing for impaired subjects and to insure compatibility with the hand module in virtual and assisted grasping tasks. Several other practical requirements have also been addressed, including device ergonomics, clinician-friendliness, and ambidextrous reconfigurability. The wrist module's capabilities as a rehabilitation device are quantified experimentally in terms of functional workspace and dynamic properties. Specifically, the device possesses favorable performance in terms of range of motion, torque output, friction, and closed-loop position bandwidth when compared with existing devices. The presented wrist module's performance and operational considerations support its use in a wide range of future clinical investigations.

DOI10.1109/ICORR.2017.8009333

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