Development of Upper-Limb Exoskeleton Simulator for Passive Rehabilitation

Abstract

Due to the progress in robotics, exoskeleton has been applied in rehabilitation for those enduring damage in central nervous system, spinal cord, and others. In this kind if application, the main concern is the safety of the user, as he/she is closely connected to the exoskeleton. That means the developed exoskeleton needs be carefully evaluated in each aspect of the design. For this purpose, we develop a simulator for general types of upper-limb exoskeletons. To make it realistic, this simulator considers kinematics, dynamics, path planning, control, and also human factor. For demonstration, we apply it to our developed upper-limb exoskeleton, HAMEXO-I, which is designed for passive rehabilitation.