Compact and Lightweight Cable Decoupling Unit for Bio-Inspired Tendon Drives in Wearable Robots

Weber N, Walter J, Braun D, Del Vecchio A, Franke J (2024)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2024

Publisher: IEEE Computer Society

Pages Range: 1140-1145

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of the IEEE RAS and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics

Event location: Heidelberg

ISBN: 9798350386523

DOI: 10.1109/BioRob60516.2024.10719892

Abstract

To support or restore limb movement, bio-inspired tendons are often used in wearable robots for assistive or rehabilitation devices like exoskeletons. The tendon force transmission from the actuators to the joints is typically achieved remotely using Bowden cables. Although these remote actuation units have the advantage of mass reduction, cable-based force transmission has some disadvantages, such as complicated handling of the system. There are a few cable decoupling devices that attempt to address these disadvantages by separating the exoskeleton from the actuation unit. However, they are too bulky and heavy. In this paper, we present a compact and lightweight design of a cable decoupling unit with a height of 20 mm, a diameter of 17 mm and a weight of 6 g, which can be placed directly on the exoskeleton. The cable decoupling unit allows the user to move independently from the actuation unit without doffing the exoskeleton, which is time-consuming, especially for hand systems and impaired users. We evaluated the transmission efficiency of the cable decoupling unit with 80 % and validated the functionality by integrating it into a state-of-the-art cable-driven hand exoskeleton. The cable decoupling unit facilitates various tasks such as handling, cable length adjustment or maintenance.

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How to cite

APA:

Weber, N., Walter, J., Braun, D., Del Vecchio, A., & Franke, J. (2024). Compact and Lightweight Cable Decoupling Unit for Bio-Inspired Tendon Drives in Wearable Robots. In Proceedings of the IEEE RAS and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (pp. 1140-1145). Heidelberg, DE: IEEE Computer Society.

MLA:

Weber, Nico, et al. "Compact and Lightweight Cable Decoupling Unit for Bio-Inspired Tendon Drives in Wearable Robots." Proceedings of the 10th IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference for Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, BioRob 2024, Heidelberg IEEE Computer Society, 2024. 1140-1145.

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