Starting in 2015, various exoskeleton designs have been developed to facilitate interventions in the rehabilitation of patients with movement disabilities aimed primarily at flexing and extending the finger joints. This article covers the review and generation of a device for the physical rehabilitation of people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Among the determining aspects for its manufacture, it has been detected that most have been designed with different technological tools with limited degrees of freedom (GDL) and the application of mechanical systems without studies of interaction with the user. The applied methodological framework for the development of exoskeletons of the hand includes a systematic review of the devices, referring to their mechanical, electronic and functional attributes according to the technological trends of the last five years. The information analyzed in this article allows the generation of an exoskeleton with the use of rapid prototyping techniques within user-centered digital manufacturing processes.

El artículo describe la metodología planteada  en el diseño de creación de un prototipo de exoesqueleto para la rehabilitación de la artritis reumatoide enfermedad inflamatoria, sistémica y crónica que afecta principalmente al sistema osteomuscular de pies, manos y que desemboca a la larga, en una discapacidad funcional severa. La propuesta de diseño del exoesqueleto de la mano descrito en el artículo tiene en cuenta los accionamientos mecánicos aplicados sobre las articulaciones mediante el uso de servomotores conectados a hilos tensores que permiten el movimiento de flexo-extensión correcto de los dedos. Se propone un planteamiento sistémico en la creación del prototipo final considerando los parámetros de esfuerzos y movimientos que se utilizan normalmente en la rehabilitación convencional y la creación de un dispositivo generado con técnicas de prototipado rápido de la mano tratada que permita diseñar un exoesqueleto único y exacto basado en las características antropométricas de cada paciente. El resultado final ha permitido validar y verificar el proceso de desarrollo innovador de técnicas relacionadas con el Diseño Asistido por Ordenador, DAO y el Prototipado Rápido PR.

This study focuses on design and development of a 3d scanner using photogrammetry as the principal technique to build hand prostheses. This work also applies generative design principles, manufacturing knowledge and industrial design concepts to optimize the development of the final product in comparison with existing typologies on the market. The construction of this 3d scanner prototype responds to the necessity of facilitate the creation process of hand prostheses. This device takes advantage of the use of cameras to capture information about the hand features. After that, the 3d scanner digitalizes the information, avoiding wasted time on digital modeling or traditional methods to elaborate hand prostheses. This 3d scanner prototype aims to optimize time, development processes and the cost of hand prostheses through the use of rapid prototyping (RP).

The intensified urbanization process of recent decades has highlighted the need to plan cities, suitably considering people’s mobility. The goal of this article is to analyze the mobility conditions of Ambato city center using a sustainability approach. The methodology used was based on a theoretical review and analysis of official documents, fieldwork, and observation records. The results were obtained by analyzing objective and technical variables that show the study area’s potentialities and weaknesses to develop active and less polluting modes of transport. A reflection on the characteristics of pedestrians, cyclists, and mass public transport is presented to propose management strategies that aim at strengthening the current mobility model.