TY - JOUR T1 - The hBracelet: a wearable haptic device for the distributed mechanotactile stimulation of the upper limb JF - IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters Y1 - 2018 A1 - L. Meli A1 - I. Hussain A1 - M. Aurilio A1 - M. Malvezzi A1 - M. O'Malley A1 - D. Prattichizzo KW - Actuators KW - Belts KW - Force KW - Haptic interfaces KW - Haptics and haptic interfaces KW - Human-Centered Robotics KW - Pulleys KW - Robots KW - Skin KW - Telerobotics and Teleoperation KW - Wearable Robots AB -

Haptic interfaces are mechatronic devices designed to render tactile sensations; although they are typically based on robotic manipulators external to the human body, recently, interesting wearable solutions have been presented. Towards a more realistic feeling of virtual and remote environment interactions, we propose a novel wearable skin stretch device for the upper limb called "hBracelet." It consists of two main parts coupled with a linear actuator. Each part contains two servo actuators that move a belt. The device is capable of providing distributed mechanotactile stimulation on the arm by controlling the tension and the distance of the two belts in contact with the skin. When the motors spin in opposite directions, the belt presses into the user's arm, while when they spin in the same direction, the belt applies a shear force to the skin. Moreover, the linear actuator exerts longitudinal cues on the arm by moving the two parts of the device. In this work we illustrate the mechanical structure, working principle, and control strategies of the proposed wearable haptic display. We also present a qualitative experiment in a teleoperation scenario as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed haptic interface and to show how a human can take advantage of multiple haptic stimuli provided at the same time and on the same body area. The results show that the device is capable of successfully providing information about forces acting at the remote site, thus improving telepresence.

VL - 3 ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Cable-based Series Elastic Actuator with Conduit Sensor for Wearable Exoskeletons T2 - International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) Y1 - 2017 A1 - L. H. Blumenschein A1 - C. G. McDonald A1 - M. K. O'Malley KW - actuation system design KW - Actuators KW - cable tension control KW - cable tension measurement KW - cable-based series elastic actuator KW - cable-conduit transmission KW - cables (mechanical) KW - compliance control KW - compliant force sensor KW - conduit sensor KW - DC motor KW - DC motors KW - deflection measurement KW - dynamic effect KW - Exoskeletons KW - Feedback KW - flexible cable conduit transmission KW - Force KW - Force control KW - force sensors KW - full wearable exosuit KW - gearbox KW - Hall effect sensors KW - Hall effect transducers KW - human arm KW - human-robot interaction KW - Impedance KW - Magnetic flux KW - physical assistance KW - robot dynamics KW - Robots KW - series elastic force sensor KW - soft exosuit KW - soft wearable exoskeleton KW - springs (mechanical) KW - translational steel compression spring KW - transmission conduit KW - user interface KW - virtual impedance KW - wearable robotic device JF - International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) PB - IEEE CY - Singapore ER - TY - Generic T1 - System characterization of RiceWrist-S: A forearm-wrist exoskeleton for upper extremity rehabilitation T2 - Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), 2013 IEEE International Conference on Y1 - 2013 A1 - Pehlivan, Ali Utku A1 - Rose, Chad G. A1 - O'Malley, Marcia K. KW - Actuators KW - closed loop position performance KW - closed loop systems KW - distal joints KW - Exoskeletons KW - forearm rehabilitation KW - forearm-wrist exoskeleton KW - Friction KW - haptic interface design KW - Joints KW - medical robotics KW - neurological lesions KW - neurophysiology KW - Patient rehabilitation KW - position control KW - prosthetics KW - RiceWrist-S KW - robotic rehabilitation KW - Robots KW - serial mechanisms KW - spatial resolution KW - spinal cord injury KW - spinal cord injury rehabilitation KW - stroke KW - stroke rehabilitation KW - system characterization KW - Torque KW - torque output KW - upper extremity rehabilitation KW - Wrist KW - wrist rehabilitation JF - Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), 2013 IEEE International Conference on ER - TY - Generic T1 - Design of a haptic arm exoskeleton for training and rehabilitation T2 - American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Dynamic Systems and Control Division (Publication) DSC Y1 - 2004 A1 - Abhishek Gupta A1 - O'Malley, M.K. KW - Actuators KW - Bandwidth KW - Damping KW - Degrees of freedom (mechanics) KW - Friction KW - Human computer interaction KW - Kinematics KW - Robotic arms KW - Robots KW - Sensors KW - Stiffness AB -

A high-quality haptic interface is typically characterized by low apparent inertia and damping, high structural stiffness, minimal backlash and absence of mechanical singularities in the workspace. In addition to these specifications, exoskeleton haptic interface design involves consideration of additional parameters and constraints including space and weight limitations, workspace requirements and the kinematic constraints placed on the device by the human arm. In this context, we present the design of a five degree-of-freedom haptic arm exoskeleton for training and rehabilitation in virtual environments. The design of the device, including actuator and sensor selection, is discussed. Limitations of the device that result from the above selections are also presented. The device is capable of providing kinesthetic feedback to the joints of the lower arm and wrist of the operator, and will be used in future work for robot-assisted rehabilitation and training. Copyright © 2004 by ASME.

JF - American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Dynamic Systems and Control Division (Publication) DSC CY - Anaheim, CA, United States VL - 73 N1 -

Haptic arm exoskeleton;Inertia;Structural stiffness;Kinesthetic feedback;

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