TY - GEN
T1 - A Mechanically adjustable stiffness actuator(MASA) of a robot for knee rehabilitation
AU - Oh, Jaewook
AU - Lee, Soojun
AU - Lim, Myotaeg
AU - Choi, Junho
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 IEEE.
PY - 2014/9/22
Y1 - 2014/9/22
N2 - This paper presents a Mechanically Adjustable Stiffness Actuator(MASA) for knee rehabilitation of stroke patients. The MASA is designed for safer and more effective physical human-robot interaction with patients in rehabilitation. The MASA consists of cantilever springs, a double-tripod parallel mechanism, and a torque limiter. Using the double-tripod parallel mechanism and two identical actuators, the effective length and the resting position of the cantilever springs are controlled independently. Changes of the effective length of the cantilever springs result in variation of the stiffness of the MASA. One end of each cantilever springs is attached to an axis via the torque limiter. When an external torque beyond the preset threshold is applied from and to the axis, the torque limiter is released so the axis rotates freely regardless of the position of the actuators. The MASA is used for a knee rehabilitation robot. Due to the springs and the torque limiter, physical safety of the patients is guaranteed in case of unexpected involuntary muscle activities (i.e. spasticity) during a therapy session. With changing stiffness of the MASA, the amount of assistance by the robot is possible to be adjusted.
AB - This paper presents a Mechanically Adjustable Stiffness Actuator(MASA) for knee rehabilitation of stroke patients. The MASA is designed for safer and more effective physical human-robot interaction with patients in rehabilitation. The MASA consists of cantilever springs, a double-tripod parallel mechanism, and a torque limiter. Using the double-tripod parallel mechanism and two identical actuators, the effective length and the resting position of the cantilever springs are controlled independently. Changes of the effective length of the cantilever springs result in variation of the stiffness of the MASA. One end of each cantilever springs is attached to an axis via the torque limiter. When an external torque beyond the preset threshold is applied from and to the axis, the torque limiter is released so the axis rotates freely regardless of the position of the actuators. The MASA is used for a knee rehabilitation robot. Due to the springs and the torque limiter, physical safety of the patients is guaranteed in case of unexpected involuntary muscle activities (i.e. spasticity) during a therapy session. With changing stiffness of the MASA, the amount of assistance by the robot is possible to be adjusted.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929190530&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/ICRA.2014.6907346
DO - 10.1109/ICRA.2014.6907346
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84929190530
T3 - Proceedings - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
SP - 3384
EP - 3389
BT - Proceedings - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2014
Y2 - 31 May 2014 through 7 June 2014
ER -