Structural design of a pneumatic muscle-driven bionic elbow joint rehabilitation trainer
We develop a pneumatic muscle-driven bionic elbow joint rehabilitation trainer to assist patients in elbow joint rehabilitation.The design is inspired by the bio-mechanical principles of the human elbow joint,aiming to replicate natural joint movements while enhancing rehabilitation efficiency.The proposed trainer utilizes pneumatic artificial muscles(PAM),a type of soft actuator known for their flexibility,high energy density,and lightweight structure.These characteristics make PAM particularly suitable for rehabilitation devices.Our design primarily involves three stages:the development of the mechanical structure,the performance evaluation through static and dynamic analyses,and the optimization of motion trajectories for smooth and comfortable rehabilitation exercises.By analyzing the anatomical motion of the elbow,the trainer design ensures the system performs key rehabilitation movements,including lifting and stretching motions similar to those of a natural elbow joint.Three different design configurations for the trainer are proposed:The first one provides basic elbow lifting functions with a simple and lightweight mechanism.This design ensures portability and ease of installation.The second enhances the first by optimizing the pneumatic muscle layout and adding an arm support system to improve the trainer's stability and comfort during use.The third further refines the design by integrating a lever mechanism to optimize muscle distribution,enabling both lifting and lowering actions.This configuration improves the trainer's overall efficiency,comfort,and stability,making it the most promising option for long-term rehabilitation.Static analysis is conducted by using finite element methods to assess the structural performance of the trainer.It focuses on displacement and deformation of key components under stress,helping to identify potential weaknesses and ensure structural integrity.Dynamic analysis,performed by using ADAMS software,evaluates the motion characteristics of the trainer,producing angular velocity and acceleration curves.These curves provide valuable information about the trainer's motion dynamics,ensuring the design replicates the smooth,natural movement of a human elbow joint.To optimize the motion trajectory,fifth-order polynomial trajectory planning is employed to ensure smooth and continuous movement.This trajectory planning method guarantees the elbow joint's movements follow a natural curve,minimizing abrupt motions that may cause discomfort.The trajectory's smoothness is further validated through kinematic simulations in MATLAB,which optimizes the motion profile to meet ergonomic and functional requirements.Motion simulations in Inventor software confirm the trainer replicates lifting and stretching motions similar to those of a human elbow joint.Our simulation results indicate the design enables precise,controlled movements that are essential for effective rehabilitation.The ergonomic design also provides maximum comfort for patients,making the trainer suitable for long-term use in clinical settings.Our results demonstrate the pneumatic muscle-driven bionic elbow joint rehabilitation trainer has tremendous potentials for enhancing elbow joint rehabilitation.The system's smooth,natural motion and ergonomic design address key issues in existing rehabilitation devices,providing a more comfortable and effective rehabilitation experience.By using soft robotics and pneumatic muscle technologies,the trainer reduces the weight and complexity of traditional rehabilitation devices,making it a promising tool to accelerate patients'full recovery.The third design configuration,with its optimized muscle layout and ergonomic features,shows the best overall performance in terms of efficiency,comfort,and stability.It effectively facilitates elbow lifting and stretching movements,demonstrating its potential in elbow joint rehabilitation.This research may provide some insights for the future development of soft robotic rehabilitation systems,particularly those targeting joint-specific rehabilitation.In conclusion,our study presents an innovative design for a pneumatic muscle-driven bionic elbow joint rehabilitation trainer.The system's smooth motion,ergonomic features,and potential for adjustable rehabilitation exercises make it a promising tool.The use of soft robotics in rehabilitation devices holds great potential for creating safer,more comfortable,and effective systems that meet the needs of patients with elbow injuries or surgeries.
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