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A Novel Generation of Ergonomic Upper-Limb Wearable Robots: Design Challenges and Solutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 December 2018

Giorgia Ercolini ,
Emilio Trigili ,
Andrea Baldoni ,
Simona Crea  and
Nicola Vitiello
Giorgia Ercolini*
Affiliation:
The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy E-mails: e.trigili@santannapisa.it, a.baldoni@santannapisa.it, s.crea@santannapisa.it, n.vitiello@santannapisa.it
Emilio Trigili
Affiliation:
The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy E-mails: e.trigili@santannapisa.it, a.baldoni@santannapisa.it, s.crea@santannapisa.it, n.vitiello@santannapisa.it
Andrea Baldoni
Affiliation:
The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy E-mails: e.trigili@santannapisa.it, a.baldoni@santannapisa.it, s.crea@santannapisa.it, n.vitiello@santannapisa.it
Simona Crea
Affiliation:
The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy E-mails: e.trigili@santannapisa.it, a.baldoni@santannapisa.it, s.crea@santannapisa.it, n.vitiello@santannapisa.it IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy
Nicola Vitiello
Affiliation:
The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy E-mails: e.trigili@santannapisa.it, a.baldoni@santannapisa.it, s.crea@santannapisa.it, n.vitiello@santannapisa.it IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: giorgiaercolini7@gmail.com
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Summary

In this work we present NEUROExos, a novel generation of upper-limb exoskeletons developed in recent years at The BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Italy). Specifically, we present our attempts to progressively (i) improve the ergonomics and safety (ii) reduce the encumbrance and weight, and (iii) develop more intuitive human–robot cognitive interfaces. Our latest prototype, described here for the first time, extends the field of application to assistance in activities of daily living, thanks to its compact and portable design. The experimental studies carried out on these devices are summarized, and a perspective on future developments is presented.

Keywords

ExoskeletonsControl of robotic systemsMechatronic systemsNeurorehabilitationSeries elastic actuators
Type
Articles
Information
Robotica , Volume 37 , Special Issue 12: Wearable Robotics: Dynamics, Control and Applications , December 2019 , pp. 2056 - 2072
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2018 

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Footnotes

Giorgia Ercolini and Emilio Trigili have contributed equally to this work.

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