Upper-Arm Exoskeleton Conical-Wheel Joint for Bilateral Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exoskeletons for upper limb rehabilitation lack versatility in accommodating both right and left limbs, require complex human-robot interaction, and often fail to adapt to different user sizes and conditions of use, posing economic and safety challenges.
Innovation Solution
An exoskeleton design featuring a rotational joint with a conical wheel connecting two circular guides, allowing symmetrical operation for both right and left limbs, and adjustable components for varying user anthropometry, along with a weight balancing system and adaptable support frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If exoskeletons are designed with extensive human-robot interface to control joint movements, then rehabilitation effectiveness is improved, but safety requirements and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The exoskeleton is designed with symmetrical structural components that can be applied to both right and left limbs without requiring different configurations. The rotational joint mechanism with conical wheel and circular guides provides universal applicability across different user anatomies, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices while maintaining rehabilitation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism incorporates a conical wheel that rotates about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axes of the circular guides, enabling dynamic adaptation to different movement requirements. This dynamic configuration allows the same structure to accommodate various joint movements and user anatomies, simplifying the overall system while maintaining functional effectiveness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If exoskeletons are designed to be invertible for right or left use, then versatility and economic efficiency are improved, but design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design employs symmetrical components arranged around a central rotation axis, where the conical wheel and circular guides are configured to work identically on both left and right limbs. This symmetrical design approach enables the same mechanical structure to serve both limbs without requiring complex inversion mechanisms or multiple different device configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational joint mechanism is designed with universal applicability, where the conical wheel rotating about an axis perpendicular to the circular guide rotation axes creates a symmetrical system that can be applied to both right and left shoulders. This universality eliminates the need for separate designs for different limbs, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If exoskeletons are designed to adapt to different user sizes, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism incorporates adjustable components that allow dynamic adaptation to different user anthropometrics. The rotational joint configuration with conical wheel and circular guides can be adjusted to accommodate different arm lengths and geometries, enabling the same device to serve users of various sizes without requiring complex reconfiguration mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotational joint of intra-extra rotation for assistance of the movement of intra-extra rotation of a shoulder of a user. The rotational joint features a first circular guide arranged to rotate about a first rotation axis and a second circular guide arranged to rotate about a second rotation axis that is parallel to the first rotation axis. A support element is arranged to support the first and the second circular guides. The first and the second circular guide are pivotally connected by a conical wheel having a third rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axes and said conical wheel being pivotally constrained to the support element.