Design of an Arm Rotation Assistive Device

Doucette, Rachel M.; Sullivan, Bridget E.; Schadt, Callie; Cidado, Carly Marie

Student Work

Design of an Arm Rotation Assistive Device Public

People with limited arm function due to health issues such as stroke, cerebral palsy, or muscular disease often have difficulty completing activities of daily living (ADLs), such as feeding themselves, without assistance. The goal of this project is to design and manufacture a device that assists those with limited arm function in completing ADLs. Such a device must support the user’s arm weight and assist with vertical and horizontal motion. Our final design accomplishes the desired horizontal motion through a three-bar link system and the vertical motion is achieved through two hinging bars that are actuated by elastic resistance bands. Our device successfully achieves the desired motions, though a few key improvements would significantly boost the device’s performance.

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