Development of a statically balanced arm support: ARMON

Abstract

People with neuromuscular diseases can benefit from devices that assist their motoric capabilities. Different categories can be distinguished for different patient groups, ranging from robotic manipulators to non-powered orthoses. Robotic manipulators can be used by people with virtually no muscle force, whereas non-powered orthoses require at least acceleration and deceleration effort. This paper proposes a hybrid solution, constituting a non-powered orthosis that can be electronically adjusted to varying load. An overview of prototype development would be presented, including the design of linkage, balancer, interface and appearance. A preliminary evaluation with users is also provided.