Development of a muscle suit for realizing all motion of the upper limb

Abstract

A "muscle suit" that will provide muscular support for the paralyzed or those otherwise unable to move unaided is developed as a wearable robot. The lack of a metal frame and use of McKibben artificial muscle allow the muscle suit to be lightweight, making it realistic to use in daily life. To overcome the basic concept of the muscle suit, the armor-type muscle suit is proposed and the abduction motion is realized. However, because of the difficulty in implementing all motion for the upper limb by the armor-type muscle suit, the new structure with the mechanical joints and hard frame is applied and all motion is achieved.