The preliminary experimental study toward the implementation of an armrehabilitation device based on a twisted string actuation\nmodule is presented. Theactuationmodule is characterized by an integrated force sensor based on optoelectronic components. The\nadopted actuation system can be used for a wide set of robotic applications and is particularly suited for very compact, light-weight,\nand wearable robotic devices, such as wearable rehabilitation systems and exoskeletons.Thorough presentation and description of\nthe proposed actuation module as well as the basic force sensor working principle are illustrated and discussed. A conceptual\ndesign of a wearable arm assistive system based on the proposed actuation module is presented. Moreover, the actuation module\nhas been used in a simple assistive application, in which surface-electromyography signals are used to detect muscle activity of\nthe user wearing the system and to regulate the support action provided to the user to reduce his effort, showing in this way the\neffectiveness of the approach.
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