Development of Upper Limb Exoskeleton

Introduction. Stroke has played a major role in causing patients to have limb
problems and motor disabilities all over the world. These patients often require
rehabilitation to overcome the disability. Robotic devices have been involved in
rehabilitation for some time in hospitals in many countries. They have been used as
assistance by therapists for safe rehabilitation on patients. Problem statement. In
Malaysia, the robotic systems that are widely reported in literatures and studies are not
implemented in our hospitals because they are still preliminary. Objectives. This
report is planned to achieve the objective of designing a customizable robotic
exoskeleton for upper extremities with the state-of-the-art mechanism and implement
the new approach of soft robotics into exoskeleton. Methodology. This project starts
with understanding the problems of elbow movement for stroke patients. Then a
mould is designed using SolidWorks in 3 separate parts. The 3D printing materials are
well studied and compared. The different types of printing is understood and the
availability of the 3D printers were sort out according to preferences. The soft
exoskeleton material is decided based on research and features of the material. Then
the components and tools are recommended to be used in this project for future works.
Conclusion. The project is completed as the design is complete for future
developments. There is potential breakthrough of the soft exoskeleton implementation
in the future using this project design. Objectives are met at the end of this project.