Force Analysis of Exoskeletal Robotic Orthoses for Judgment on Mechanical Safety and Possibility of Assistance

Abstract

We discuss analysis to judge whether an exoskeletal robotic orthosis may assist in providing force while theoretically guaranteeing user safety. First, we explain our basic concept on how to make this judgment. Second, we propose a theory for simultaneously evaluating mechanical safety for the user and the possibility of assistance based on force analysis. We then study feasibility with a numerical example, and detail an application of the proposed method to mechanical design of an exoskeletal robotic orthosis.