Design of a five actuated DoF upper limb exoskeleton oriented to workplace help

This paper presents the design of IKO (IKerlan’s Othosis), an upper limb exoskeleton oriented to increasing human force during routine activity at the workplace. It can be considered as a force amplification device, conceived to work in collaboration with the human arm and implementing biomimetic principles. The proposed design is intended to find the best compromise between maximum reachable workspace and minimum moving mass, which are the key factors for obtaining an ergonomic wearable exoskeleton. Power transmission is based on Bowden cables. Dynamic performance and control strategies have been evaluated for the electrical motors and pneumatic muscles used.