Dampace: Design of an Exoskeleton for Force-Coordination Training in Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation

Abstract

The Dampace exoskeleton combines functional exercises resembling activities of daily living with impairment-targeted force-coordination training. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the Dampace. In the design, the joint rotations are decoupled from the joint translations; the robot axes align themselves to the anatomical axes, overcoming some of the traditional difficulties of exoskeletons. Setup times are reduced to mere minutes and static reaction forces are kept to a minimum. The Dampace uses hydraulic disk brakes, which can resist rotations with up to 50 N m and have a torque bandwidth of 10 Hz for multisine torques of 20 N m. The brakes provide passive control over the movement; the patients’ movements can be selectively resisted, but active movement assistance is impossible and virtual environments are restricted. However, passive actuators are inherently safe and force active patient participation. In conclusion, the Dampace is well suited to offer force-coordination training with functional exercises.