Development and evaluation of pneumatic actuators for pediatric upper extremity rehabilitation devices

Abstract

Textile pneumatic actuators were developed to provide full assistance to lift the arm of a model of an 11-year-old male beyond 120 degrees of shoulder abduction. Two fabrics and a variety of sealing techniques, methods of attachment, and actuator shapes were comparatively evaluated using textile and functional tests. The results identified that both fabrics and one of the three sealing techniques were effective for creating air-tight, functional actuators. Actuators were more effective when the bands attaching them were closer to the axilla. Rectangular and wing-shaped actuators, both lifting the model of an 11-year-old male’s arm above 120 degrees of abduction, were more effective than Y-shaped actuators. Multiple designs and materials may be acceptable for building textile pneumatic actuators to lift the full weight of a child’s arm. Compared to traditional hard robots, soft assistive robots offer key potential benefits related to comfort, aesthetics, weight, bulk, and cost.