Design Proposal for a Portable Elbow Exoskeleton

Exoskeleton based rehabilitation for post-stroke recovery is being aggressively pursued due to unavailability of adequate number of caregivers and huge investment for the manual treatment [1]. The structural framework for providing different training exercises is not similar for all exoskeletons and there is no standardized protocol for rehabilitation following stroke [2]. Various approaches have been undertaken to come up with customized exoskeleton design for implementing a specific type of exercise. Though a few exoskeletons have proved to be beneficial in terms of clinical outcomes, there is still a long way to go before a useful rehabilitation device becomes acceptable to the users. After reviewing the 46 exoskeletons (commercial or prototypes) [3], two key requirements can be considered for the design of an exoskeleton; the structural parameter which decides the size, weight and the ease of control and the other is the nature of rehabilitation therapy which defines the type and intensity of the exercises performed during training.