Robotic Exoskeleton: A Compact, Portable, and Constructing Using 3D Printer Technique for Wrist-Forearm Rehabilitation

Abstract

Regaining the activities of daily living after stroke and spinal cord injury requires repetitive and intensive tasks, meaning that rehabilitation therapy should be treated with a long duration. Thus, the need for rehabilitation devices based home is of most importance to increase the rehabilitation process and provide more comfortability for patients. This paper focuses on implementing and construction of a three degree of freedom (DOF) (flexion/extension, adduction/abduction, and pronation/supination), low cost, lightweight, and portable robotic exoskeleton for wrist-forearm rehabilitation. SolidWorks software program and 3D printer technology are used to model and construct the proposed robotic exoskeleton structure. In addition, the anthropometric parameters of the normal human lower arm are considered for this exoskeleton to provide a range of motion (ROM) and velocity for the links, joints, which matches with the anatomical structure of human and also to avoid the excesses motions over the normal range. The exoskeleton is constructed by a 3D printer utilizing polylactic acid (PLA) plastic material. The proposed implementing structure of the robotic exoskeleton shows comfortable, lightweight, simple and economic as well.