Design of the robotic exoskeleton for upper-extremity rehabilitation

Abstract

This paper touches upon the issue of designing of an upper-limb exoskeleton used for rehabilitation. Mainly there are presented the results concerning the mechanical design. The exoskeleton, also known as orthosis, has 12 degrees of freedom (DOF). Among 12 DOF there can be distinguished 7 DOF which are actively controlled during rehabilitation, 3 passive DOF which are responsible for wrist movements, and 2 adjustable DOF used for links elongation. An orthosis has been specifically designed to accomplish requirements of medical applications. Described exoskeleton is a key-component of the upper-limb rehabilitation robot.