Development and Efficacy Assessment of an Angle Sensor-Integrated Upper Limb Exoskeleton System for Autonomous Rehabilitation Training.

In this study, we propose a rehabilitation training system that incorporates active and passive rehabilitation modes to enhance the convenience, efficacy, and safety of rehabilitation training for patients with upper limb hemiplegia. This system facilitates elbow flexion and extension as well as wrist and palm flexion and extension. The experimental results demonstrate that the exoskeleton robot on the affected limb exhibits a rapid response and maintains a highly synchronized movement with the unaffected upper limb equipped with an angle sensor, preserving stability and coordination throughout the movement process without significant delay affecting the overall motion. When the movement of the unaffected upper limb exceeds the predetermined angle threshold, the affected limb promptly initiates a protective mechanism to maintain its current posture. Upon equalization of the angles between the two limbs, the affected limb resumes synchronized movement, thereby ensuring the safety of the rehabilitation training. This research provides some insights into the functional improvements of safe and reliable upper limb exoskeleton rehabilitation training systems.