Optimizing the Rigid or Compliant Behavior of a Novel Parallel-Actuated Architecture for Exoskeleton Robot Applications

The purpose of this work is to optimize the rigid or compliant behavior of a new type of parallel-actuated robot architecture developed for exoskeleton robot applications. This is done in an effort to provide those that utilize the architecture with the means to maximize, minimize, or simply adjust its stiffness property so as to optimize it for particular tasks, such as augmented lifting or impact absorption. This research even provides the means to produce non-homogeneous stiffness properties for applications that may require non-homogeneous dynamic behavior. In this work, the new architecture is demonstrated in the form of a shoulder exoskeleton. An analytical stiffness model for the shoulder exoskeleton is created and validated experimentally. The model is then used, along with a method of bounded nonlinear multi-objective optimization to configure the parallel substructures for desired rigidity, compliance or nonhomogeneous stiffness behavior. The stiffness model and its optimization can be applied beyond the shoulder to any embodiment of the new parallel architecture, including hip, wrist and ankle robot applications. In order to exemplify this, we present the rigidity optimization for a theoretical hip exoskeleton.

Automated summary

This research focuses on optimizing the rigid or compliant behavior of a new type of parallel-actuated robot architecture, specifically for exoskeleton robot applications. By creating and validating an analytical stiffness model for a shoulder exoskeleton, the study demonstrates the potential for similar optimization across other embodiments of the parallel architecture, such as hip, wrist, and ankle robot applications.