Textile and Apparel Science

The Development of Cable Driven Exosuit to Assist Upper Extremity Movement

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Abstract

Exoskeleton has been used in medical and rehabilitation purposes to assist people with movement disorders. However, it is heavy and bulky. There is a need to develop exosuit that incorporates exoskeleton function into apparel, so the patients can wear it in their daily life. This research intended to develop cable-driven exosuit prototypes that assist elbow movement of flexion and extension. The garment design was a quasi-rigid structure with a combination of stiff and stretchable fabrics. Dyneema® cable was used to provide elbow movement assistance. Two exosuit prototypes have been developed. Prototype 1 could assist elbow flexion movement by pulling the cable, but could not assist elbow extension. In prototype 2, self-adhesive hook and loop tapes were placed on the back shoulder so that the paths of the cables can be adjusted. After identifying the optimum cable paths, both elbow extension and flexion movements were accomplished in prototype 2.

Keywords: movement, cable, exoskeleton, exosuit

How to Cite:

Cao, H., Ellis, K., Smith, C., Buchanan, S. & Sergi, F., (2020) “The Development of Cable Driven Exosuit to Assist Upper Extremity Movement”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.11864