Biorobotic arm helps tremor supression
Artificial muscles on either side of the forearm contract and relax to suppress the involuntary shaking of the wrist and hand
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the University of Tübingen and the University of Stuttgart under the Bionic Intelligence Tübingen Stuttgart (BITS) collaboration developed a biorobotic arm that can mirror human tremors, such as those experienced by individuals that live with Parkinson’s disease. The researchers see their biorobotic arm not only as a platform for other scientists in the field to test new ideas in exoskeleton technology. The arm also serves as a test bed to see how well artificial muscles known as HASELs can one day become the building blocks of wearable devices. The vision is to one day develop a sleeve that tremor patients can comfortably wear to be able to better cope with everyday tasks such as holding a cup.
The team equipped a biorobotic arm with two strands of artificial muscles strapped along the forearm. As can be seen in this video, the biorobotic arm – here dubbed the mechanical patient – simulates a tremor. Several real tremors were recorded and projected onto the biorobotic arm which then mirrors how each patient shakes the wrist and hand. However, once the tremor suppression is activated, the lightweight artificial muscles, which are made of electro-hydraulic actuators, contract and relax in such a way as to compensate for the back-and-forth movement. Now, the tremor can hardly be felt or seen.
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