A compact robotic orthosis for wrist assistance

Abstract

This paper presents a wearable robotic orthosis for assisting flexion and extension of the wrist. The major consideration in designing this robotic orthosis was to realize a cost effective, compact, and modular design with an effective torque output. A dedicated electronic backbone was prototyped for the robotic orthosis. The robotic orthosis was designed to operate in the following three different modes for its potential use in rehabilitation: passive; active resistive; and active assistive. For the active assistive mode, a wireless strap recording force-myography (FMG) signals from the forearm was used. Specifically, a neural network was implemented to regress the FMG signals and send the control command to the orthosis. An experimental protocol was conducted to test the feasibility of the robotic orthosis, where a healthy volunteer wore the robotic orthosis and tested the three modes of operation. Results showed that the robotic orthosis was able to successfully perform the three modes of operation. Future studies will use the developed technology to assist wrist motor recovery in individuals with neuromuscular conditions.