Passive Exoskeletons For Assisting Limb Movement

There is a state-of-the-art passive devices for enhancing upper- and lower-limb movement in people with neuromuscular disabilities. Special emphasis is placed on a passive functional upper-limb orthosis called the Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX).

It is exoskeletal, has two links and four degrees of freedom, and uses linear elastic elements to balance the effects of gravity in three dimensions. Results show that the WREX benefited a small number of children with arm weakness and allowed them to eat independently.

The WREX can be used by people with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig disease). WREX is also a potential low-cost therapy tool for stroke subjects.

Take a look at the device at the Biomechatronics  Laboratory (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine)