Design and development of a gravity-balanced device for the upper limb

• Main Author: Muhammad Akasha bin Hamdan
• Other Authors: Domenico Campolo
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68088
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The design and development of a gravity-balanced device for the upper limb project is a subsidiary of the H-man project. The H-Man is a robot with mechanical design which uses cabled differential transmission. This device is developed to provide a study for motor control and robotic rehabilitation. Being a lightweight design with simplified kinematics - the H-Man is designed to be used in homes. As the construction of the H-Man is being improved with an enclosure, this enclosure would cause the motion of the robot to be interfered. Therefore, there is a need to operate the robot with the use of links. These links will transfer the movement of the user to the robot on another plane, therefore allowing the H-Man to function with the new design. This is addressed by a “Mirror” Configuration linkage. Links are designed such that the user moves a top link and causes a bottom link to be following its trajectory. In addition, the second problem that was faced when a new way to operate the H-Man was to be researched on. This new configuration is called a bimanual. A bimanual configuration is such that allows the user to operate 2 H-Man with both upper limbs. In the current situation, it is not physically possible to allow H-Man to function properly with 2 H-Man side by side. A ‘pantograph’ set of links were designed to address this issue.