Design and Fabrication of Exoskeleton for Power Augmentation of Arm using Intuitive Control

Abstract

In this paper, design and testing phase of a powered exoskeleton built for enhancement of upper limb, is discussed. An exoskeleton for right upper limb is made having optimal weight actuated by a stepper motor. The input signal for this device to operate is an EMG signal taken from muscular movements of muscles inside forearm. Clenching fist and palm extension are the hand gestures to operate exoskeleton. A binary classifier, Linear Discriminant Analysis, is trained for the corresponding EMG signals of these hand movements to generate control commands for operating device with accuracy. The project also includes acquiring and processing EMG signals. The augmenting factor of this device is set to 1.5 to assist user for lifting loads ranging from 5 to 10 KG for an extended period without causing muscular fatigue.