Design of a Wearable Bilateral Exoskeleton for Arm Stroke Treatment in a Home Environment

With the number of stroke patients increasing every year, it is important that new ways of approaching rehabilitation are explored. This paper introduces a novel design for a bilateral exoskeleton that aims to allow patients more flexibility in how and where they are able to carry out their rehabilitation. The Bilateral Exoskeleton for Arm Stroke Treatment (BEAST), has been designed for patients to use independently in their own home. The focus of BEAST is to allow therapists to oversee the remote rehabilitation of more patients, effectively reducing waiting times and enabling patients more independence in their recovery process. This paper discusses the design of BEAST, including the kinematics, workspace and torque calculations. It also briefly touches on how the needs of patients can be included in the design and optimisation stages of BEAST.