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Updated: Jul 5, 2025
Development of a Novel Task-oriented Rehabilitation Program using a Bimanual Exoskeleton Robotic Hand
Published on: May 20, 2020
Experimental Study of Fully Passive, Fully Active, and Active-Passive Upper-Limb Exoskeleton Efficiency: An
Ali Nasr1, Clark R Dickerson2, John McPhee1
1Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
Abstract:
Recently, robotic exoskeletons are gaining attention for assisting industrial workers. The exoskeleton power source ranges from fully passive (FP) to fully active (FA), or a mixture of both. The objective of this experimental study was to assess the efficiency of a new active-passive (AP) shoulder exoskeleton using statistical analyses of 11 quantitative measures from surface electromyography (sEMG) and kinematic data and a user survey for weight lifting tasks. Two groups of females and males lifted heavy kettlebells, while a shoulder exoskeleton helped them in modes of fully passive (FP), fully active (FA), and active-passive (AP). The AP exoskeleton outperformed the FP and FA exoskeletons because the participants could hold the weighted object for nearly twice as long before fatigue occurred. Future developments should concentrate on developing sex-specific controllers as well as on better-fitting wearable devices for women.
