Berdal Jarren Bachiller, Hartnett Ryan Jason, Quintero David
IEEE Int Conf Rehabil Robot. 2025 May;2025:1-6. doi: 10.1109/ICORR66766.2025.11063208.
Each year, many stroke survivors experience upper limb paralysis, negatively affecting their ability to perform activities of daily living. Powered assistive exoskeletons can help restore these abilities, promoting independence and improving their quality of life. While upper limb assistive devices show promise, challenges still remain in developing a lightweight and portable system for broad patient use. This paper presents the Upper limb Portable Cable Assistive Recovery Exoskeleton (UPCARE) a lightweight, portable robotic exoskeleton designed to assist elbow movement. UP-CARE features a brushless DC motor whose torque is amplified through a two stage planetary gearbox and dual-pulley cable system made with high strength additive manufacturing materials. By leveraging 3D printing, the actuator design achieved a 52 % weight reduction as compared to conventional off-the-shelf gear transmissions, while promoting design modularity and an increase in accessibility. UP-CARE has a total mass of 4.75 kg, with only 0.62 kg resting directly on the user's arm. Its high torque to weight ratio makes it suitable for portable assistive rehabilitation. Preliminary subject testing demonstrated accurate elbow position tracking up to 90°, while producing an average elbow joint torque of 18.9 Nm. The performance indicate that UP-CARE can support the assistive needs of elbow flexion/extension, helping stroke survivors regain independent living.
每年，许多中风幸存者都会经历上肢瘫痪，这对他们进行日常生活活动的能力产生负面影响。动力辅助外骨骼可以帮助恢复这些能力，促进独立性并改善他们的生活质量。虽然上肢辅助设备显示出前景，但在开发一种适用于广大患者的轻便便携式系统方面仍然存在挑战。本文介绍了上肢便携式缆线辅助康复外骨骼（UPCARE），这是一种旨在辅助肘部运动的轻便便携式机器人外骨骼。UPCARE的特点是采用无刷直流电机，其扭矩通过两级行星齿轮箱和由高强度增材制造材料制成的双滑轮缆线系统放大。通过利用3D打印，与传统的现成齿轮传动相比，执行器设计实现了52%的重量减轻，同时提高了设计的模块化程度和可及性。UPCARE的总质量为4.75千克，只有0.62千克直接放在用户的手臂上。其高扭矩重量比使其适用于便携式辅助康复。初步的受试者测试表明，在90°范围内肘部位置跟踪准确，同时产生的平均肘关节扭矩为18.9牛米。这些性能表明UPCARE可以满足肘部屈伸的辅助需求，帮助中风幸存者重新获得独立生活能力。
