DESIGN AND CONTROL OF A REHABILITATION ROBOT MANIPULATOR FOR HEAD–NECK ORTHOPAEDIC DISORDERS

Bayram A., Duru A. S.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION, vol.37, no.6, pp.486-497, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 37 Issue: 6
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.2316/j.2022.206-0680
  • Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, EBSCO Legal Collection
  • Page Numbers: pp.486-497
  • Keywords: Dual-arm robot manipulator, rehabilitation robot, deficient manipulator, computed torque control, LIMB REHABILITATION, IMPEDANCE CONTROL, ARM, STROKE, THERAPY
  • Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This paper addresses the design and control of a dual-arm robot manipulator that can be used for the treatment of head–neck orthopaedic disorders. Each arm of this manipulator has six-degrees- of-freedom (DoF) serial RRRRU topological structure, four of which are actively actuated and two of which are passive. The head–neck model in harmony with this underactuated robot arm was designed as a 4-DoF serial manipulator. Although the system is deficient, all motions of the head–neck model subjected to rehabilitation can be fully performed due to the topology chosen for the arms; in other words, the kinematically closed-loop robotic system can move without blocking. In this study, kinematic analyses were performed separately for both the arms and the head–neck model, and the results were obtained analytically and semi-analytically. Then, the robotic system described with dynamic analysis was controlled by the computed torque control method. Here, the quasi-external forces/moments that supply the desired user-defined rehabilitation motions to the head–neck model are taken as the force/moment inputs for the dual-arm robot. The control of the robotic system was carried out to test the performance of the system according to the generated torques and the mobility of the rehabilitation robot.