ANYexo 2.0: A Fully Actuated Upper-Limb Exoskeleton for Manipulation and Joint-Oriented Training in All Stages of Rehabilitation

Abstract

We developed an exoskeleton for neurorehabilitation that covered all relevant degrees of freedom of the human arm while providing enough range of motion, speed, strength, and haptic-rendering function for therapy of severely affected (e.g., mobilization) and mildly affected patients (e.g., strength and speed). The ANYexo 2.0, uniting these capabilities, could be the vanguard for highly versatile therapeutic robotics applicable to a broad target group and an extensive range of exercises. Thus, supporting the practical adoption of these devices in clinics.The unique kinematic structure of the robot and the bioinspired controlled shoulder coupling allowed training for most activities of daily living. We demonstrated this capability with 15 sample activities, including interaction with real objects and the own body with the robot in transparent mode. The robot's joints can reach 200 %, 398 %, and 354 % of the speed required during activities of daily living at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, respectively. Further, the robot can provide isometric strength training. We present a detailed analysis of the kinematic properties and propose algorithms for intuitive control implementation.

Human–Robot Attachment System for Exoskeletons: Design and Performance Analysis

“…Here, we focused on developing an attachment system for the 9-DOF, fully actuated upper limb exoskeleton ANYexo 2.0 [15], [21] (see section III-A). The main requirements and design goals for the ANYexo 2.0's attachment system were grouped into five categories (see Table I).…”

“…At the same time, all interaction forces between the robot and the human should be transferred comfortably over these well-defined constraints of the human-robot attachment (HRA) system. Thus, the HRA concept is a key component of an exoskeleton nonetheless if the device is used for rehabilitation (e.g., ANYexo [15], ArmeoPower and Locomat by Hocoma AG, Switzerland)), assistance (e.g., MyoSuit by Myoswiss AG, Switzerland), or power augmentation (e.g., Guardian XO by Sarcos, and EXO-O1 by Hilti AG).…”

Can Robotic Feedback and Adaptation Possibilities match Therapeutic Needs? - An Observational Study

“…It is thus questionable if a controller's influence on the overall therapy goal is meaningful and can ever be determined, and it might be a reason why such controllers are rarely found in commercial products today. The discrepancy between conventional clinical practice and research is not new, and researchers started to foster robotic solutions that readopt the manifold interactions with the patient through versatile robotic systems (e.g., ANYexo 2.0 [13]), flexible interfaces for therapist (e.g., emulating the therapist [14]), simulations of multi-modal therapeutic interactions (e.g., imitating therapist's verbal cues [15]), and the design of a modular software framework that allow a supervised assembly of complex, individualized control policies from narrow, specific sub-controllers, i.e., a polymorphic control framework [16]. This framework seeks to reintegrate therapists into the control loop in a supervisory role by allowing them to decide, whenever necessary, which metrics to assess and which robot parameters to adjust.…”

Adaptive Gravity Compensation Framework Based on Human Upper Limb Model for Assistive Robotic Arm Extender

“…Upper limb rehabilitation robots mainly include exoskeleton type and end-effector type [4]. Exoskeleton robots have been used for an extensive range of motion (ROM), including spatial 3D motions, which can fulfill most activities of daily life (ADL), for example, the ARMin [5] and Anyexo [6]. However, This work was supported by the Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (Corresponding author: Lincong Luo)…”