Kinematic synthesis and optimization of Continuous Passive Motion mechanisms for knee

Abstract

Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) has been totally accepted as a physical therapy in the recent decades. There have been a number of CPM systems from the most complicated mechatronic systems to the least, developed for this purpose. Despite all improvements in manufacturing such machines, an optimum design needing an acceptably low power for efficient functioning has not yet been targeted. The aim of this paper is to kinematically synthesize a linkage-based mechanism for knee CPM with three-accuracy-point approach. An optimization problem is then defined to find the mechanism with the least amount of power generated by the driver joint and force generated at knee joint.