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Design, fabrication, and control techniques of a four-DOF robotic wrist-hand exoskeleton

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2025

Meby Mathew Open the ORCID record for Meby Mathew [Opens in a new window] ,
S. Kishore ,
C. S. Aswin Sekhar ,
Vivek Pankaj  and
A. P. Sudheer Open the ORCID record for A. P. Sudheer [Opens in a new window]
Meby Mathew
Affiliation:
Mechatronics/ Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala, India Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering Kanjirapally, Kottayam, Kerala, India
S. Kishore
Affiliation:
Mechatronics/ Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala, India
C. S. Aswin Sekhar
Affiliation:
Mechatronics/ Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala, India
Vivek Pankaj
Affiliation:
Mechatronics/ Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala, India
A. P. Sudheer*
Affiliation:
Mechatronics/ Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala, India
*
Corresponding author: A. P. Sudheer; Email: apsudheer@nitc.ac.in
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Abstract

A wrist-hand exoskeleton designed to assist individuals with wrist and hand limitations is presented in this paper. The novel design is developed based on specific selection criteria, addressing all the Degrees of Freedom (DOF). In the conceptual design phase, design concepts are created and assessed before being screened and scored to determine which concept is the most promising. Performance and possible restrictions are assessed using kinematic and dynamic analysis. Using polylactic acid material, the exoskeleton is prototyped to ensure structural integrity and fit. Manual control, master-slave control, and electroencephalography (EEG) dataset-based control are among the control strategies that have been investigated. Direct manipulation is possible with manual control, nevertheless, master-slave control uses sensors to map user motions. Brain signals for hand opening and closing are interpreted by EEG dataset-based control, which manages the hand open-close of the exoskeleton. This study introduces a novel wrist-hand exoskeleton that improves usefulness, modularity, and mobility. While the numerous control techniques give versatility based on user requirements, the 3D printing process assures personalization and flexibility in design.

Keywords

exoskeletonwristkinematic analysisdynamic analysiscontrolEEG

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Type
Research Article
Information
Robotica , First View , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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