견갑상완 리듬 특성을 활용한 효율적 어깨 보조장치 개발

Abstract

Exoskeletal assistive devices designed for human motion assistance must ensure user comfort and minimize resistive forces during movement. This requires the devices to be compact, lightweight, and structurally simple, while maintaining consistent alignment between the rotational axes of the device and the user. Although the human shoulder is often simplified as a spherical joint that only considers the glenohumeral (GH) joint, it actually consists of a complex structure known as the shoulder complex, which includes the scapula and clavicle. Designing an exoskeleton shoulder joint as a simple spherical joint leads to rotational axis misalignment during movement, resulting in discomfort and joint pressure for users. To address these misalignment issues caused by the movement of the shoulder complex, we analyzed the GH joint center’s movement during upper arm motion and performed Principal Component Analysis to develop an efficient mechanism that compensates for GH movement with minimal structural complexity. Experimental validation demonstrated that a simple rack-and-pinion mechanism can effectively compensate for GH movement, maintaining rotational axis alignment and reducing resistive forces during motion.