A number of robotic exoskeletons are being developed to provide rehabilitation interventions for those with movement disabilities. We present a systematic framework that allows for virtual prototyping (i.e., design, control, and experimentation (i.e. design, control, and experimentation) of robotic exoskeletons. The framework merges computational musculoskeletal analyses with simulation-based d...

Exoskeletons find application in many fields and can be divided into three main categories: 1) haptic interfaces; 2) power amplifiers; 3) rehabilitation and assistance systems. A number of research groups have developed a number of robotic solutions for supporting the motor activities of the upper limb by integrating advanced technologies in terms of actuation, sensors, control and mechanisms. ...

The insect exoskeleton is a multifunctional coat with a continuum of mechanical and structural properties constituting the barrier between electromagnetic waves and the internal body parts. This paper examines the ability of beetle exoskeleton to regulate internal body temperature considering its thermal permeability or isolation to simulated solar irradiance and infrared radiation. Seven Neotr...

This literature review of exoskeleton design provides a brief history of exoskeleton development, discusses current research of exoskeletons with respect to the innate human-machine interface, and the incorporation of exoskeletons for ergonomic intervention, and offers a review of needed future work. Development of assistive exoskeletons began in the 1960’s but older designs lacked design for h...

Many places in the world are too rugged or enclosed for vehicles to access. Even today, material transport to such areas is limited to manual labor and beasts of burden. Modern advancements in wearable robotics may make those methods obsolete. Lower extremity exoskeletons seek to supplement the intelligence and sensory systems of a human with the significant strength and endurance of a pair of ...

This paper proposes a flexible and wearable hand exoskeleton which can be used as a computer mouse. The hand exoskeleton is developed based on a new concept of wearable mouse. The wearable mouse, which consists of flexible bend sensor, accelerometer and bluetooth, is designed for comfortable and supple usage. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed wearable mouse, experiments are carri...

An exoskeleton was designed with the primary goal of enhancing the maximum dynamic capability of a human, thus allowing the user to run faster, jump higher, or traverse challenging terrain. This paper presents the mechanical design of an alpha prototype with a focus on increasing the maximum vertical jump height of a human. High torque motors were constrained to the body with two degrees of fre...

A new planar robotic exoskeleton for upper-limb motor assessment has been developed. It provides independent control of a user’s shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints in the horizontal plane. The lightweight backdriveable robot is based on a novel cable-driven curved track and carriage system that enables the entire mechanism to be located underneath the user’s arm. It has been designed to extend t...

This article presents the state of the art in passive devices for enhancing limb movement in people with neuromuscular disabilities. Both upper- and lower-limb projects and devices are described. Special emphasis is placed on a passive functional upper-limb orthosis called the Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX). The development and testing of the WREX with children with limited arm strength ...

This paper proposes an augmented reality based exoskeleton for virtual object assembly training. This proposed hand exoskeleton consists of 9 DOF joints which can provide force feedback to all 5 fingers at the same time. This device has ability to simulate shape, size, and weight of the virtual objects. In this augmented reality system, user can assembly virtual objects in real workspace which ...