The Design and Development of a Wearable Cable-Driven Shoulder Exosuit (CDSE) for Multi-DOF Upper Limb Assistance
Source abstract
Abstract
This study presents the design, development, and experimental validation of a novel cable-driven shoulder exosuit (CDSE) for upper limb rehabilitation and assistance. Unlike existing exoskeletons, which are often bulky, limited in degrees of freedom (DOFs), or impractical for home use, the proposed DSE offers a lightweight (≈2 kg), portable, and wearable solution capable of supporting three shoulder movements: abduction, flexion, and horizontal adduction. The system employs a bioinspired tendon-driven mechanism using Bowden cables, transferring actuation forces from a backpack to the arm, thereby reducing user load and improving comfort. Mathematical models and inverse kinematics were derived to determine cable length variations for targeted motions, while control strategies were implemented using a PID-based approach in MATLAB Simscape-Multibody simulations. The prototype was fabricated in three iterations using PLA, aluminum, and carbon fiber—culminating in a durable and ergonomic final version. Experimental evaluations on a healthy subject demonstrated high accuracy in position tracking (<5% error) and torque profiles consistent with simulation outcomes, validating system robustness. The CDSE successfully supported loads up to 4 kg during rehabilitation tasks, highlighting its potential for clinical and at-home applications. This research contributes to advancing wearable robotics by addressing portability, biomechanical alignment, and multi-DOF functionality in upper limb exosuits.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Muscle activation and electromyography studies · Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Robotics · Shoulder Injury and Treatment
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT, UK
References (60)
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