Testing of Different Strings for Their Usability in Actuation of Exosuits

Abstract

Cable driven exoskeletons and exosuits are very popular in rehabilitation and assistive robotics. Exosuits are typically actuated using Bowden cable attached to motors or any other actuators. Bowden cable act as link to activate a joint. However, exosuits because of flexible construction require flexible links or cable. To keep the cost low and for ease of routing, other strings can be explored, instead of using Bowden cables. This work presents the usability of braided nylon fishing lines as an alternative to Bowden cable in exosuit making. An experimental setup is described here for cyclic loading and elongation of string. The results show that both mono nylon string and a braided nylon string can undergo cyclic loading. Due to greater elongation of mono nylon string over braided nylon string, the latter is a better option for use in exosuits.