Exoskeleton arm : How to construct a smart support structure for an arm

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis was to find an optimal way to construct and control a product that could help those who suffer from muscle weakness or a muscle sickness. The device was made out of two major parts (upper arm and lower arm) which were connected through a motorized joint. The focus was on finding a satisfying construction that could handle the forces and with the help of sensors measure movement of the users arm relative to the construction and then control it using that information. The device needed to be fast and reliable and react to small movements to be as comfortable for the user as possible.  The result was a construction controlled by measuring the forces from the user’s movement with the use of force sensors placed at the wrist. The construction managed to follow the users’ arm, fast and in a satisfactory way.