Measurement-Based Optimization of a Lightweight Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation Exoskeleton for Task-Oriented Treatment

Contemporary physiotherapy requires technological tools to provide effective therapy to the increasing group of patients with neurological conditions, among others. This can be achieved with rehabilitation robots, which can also be exoskeletons—wearable devices that mobilize multiple joints with complex motions representing activities of daily living. To perform kinesiotherapy conveniently in home-like environments, the exoskeletons need to be relatively lightweight. The paper presents the methodology for decreasing the mass of the exoskeleton design with real-life data-driven simulations of motions, followed by multibody dynamics simulations, and finite element method (FEM) multistep optimization. The process includes sequential initial parametric optimization, topology optimization, and final parametric optimization. The steps are used to set initial dimensional and material parameters, extract new geometrical features, and adjust the final geometry dimensions of a new design. The presented case of the SmartEx-Home exoskeleton resulted in a total mass reduction of almost 50% for the main construction elements while meeting the criteria of the minimum safety factor and maximum internal stress and strain for all components. The final design was manufactured and tested with humans, reflecting an almost fully automatic passive and active therapy.