Optimal Design of a Rehabilitation Four Cable-Driven Parallel Robot for Daily Living Activities

Abstract

In this paper, three rehabilitation movements of the human upper extremity, which were suggested by physiotherapists, are analyzed. The geometric and kinematic characteristics of each movement are identified using a motion capture system. Based on these measurements and design constraints, a preliminary architecture of a cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR), capable of reproducing the movements, is presented. An optimization of the CDPR is then conducted, using the Genetic Algorithm method, where the objectives are the simultaneous minimization of the robot size and the tensions in the cables. The dexterity and the elastic stiffness of the resulting robot are also investigated.