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Configuration design and dimensional synthesis of a novel 4-DOFs parallel ankle rehabilitative robot with dual virtual motion center

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2025

Jingke Song Open the ORCID record for Jingke Song [Opens in a new window] ,
Jianjun Zhang ,
Jun Wei Open the ORCID record for Jun Wei [Opens in a new window] ,
Chenglei Liu ,
Xiankun Zhao  and
Cunjin Ai Open the ORCID record for Cunjin Ai [Opens in a new window]
Jingke Song
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China Intelligent Rehabilitation Device & Detection Tech. Eng. Center, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300401, China Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Robot Perception and Human-Machine Fusion, Tianjin, 300401, China
Jianjun Zhang*
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China Intelligent Rehabilitation Device & Detection Tech. Eng. Center, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300401, China Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Robot Perception and Human-Machine Fusion, Tianjin, 300401, China
Jun Wei
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China Intelligent Rehabilitation Device & Detection Tech. Eng. Center, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300401, China Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Robot Perception and Human-Machine Fusion, Tianjin, 300401, China
Chenglei Liu
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China Intelligent Rehabilitation Device & Detection Tech. Eng. Center, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300401, China Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Robot Perception and Human-Machine Fusion, Tianjin, 300401, China
Xiankun Zhao
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China
Cunjin Ai
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China
*
Corresponding author: Jianjun Zhang; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper introduces an equivalent series mechanism model to improve ankle rehabilitation robots’ ability to recurrence the complex movements of the anthropo-ankle and enhance human-machine locomotion compatibility. The model emulates the true anatomical architecture of the ankle joint and is integrated with a parallel rehabilitative mechanism. The rehabilitative robot includes dual virtual motion centers to mimic the ankle joint’s intricate motion, accommodate individual patient variations, and address the rehabilitation requirements of both right and left feet. Firstly, a serial equivalence model of anthropo-ankle is developed based on the kinematic and anatomical characteristics of the human ankle. The type design for the 4-degree of freedom (4-DOF) parallel ankle rehabilitative robot is then conducted on the basis of the kinematical and restrictive properties of the anthropo-ankle equivalence kinematic model. Secondly, the mechanism’s motion properties allow it to be equivalent to a series branch chain, enabling the establishment of an inverse kinematics model. The kinematical performance of the mechanisms is analyzed using the transmissibility and constrainability indices, followed by workspace analysis and dimensional optimization of the rehabilitative mechanism. Finally, a human-machine coupled rehabilitative simulation model is developed using OpenSim biomechanics software to evaluate the recovery effect.

Keywords

ankle rehabilitative robotdual virtual motion centers mechanismdimensional synthesishuman-robot rehabilitative simulation
Type
Research Article
Information
Robotica , First View , pp. 1 - 23
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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