Title
A MATE for post-stroke gait rehabilitation; design optimization of a minimally actuated tendon-based gait rehabilitation device
Author
Haanen, Bram (TU Delft Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering)
Contributor
Marchal Crespo, L. (mentor)
Vallery, H. (mentor) 
van der Kruk, E. (graduation committee)
Harlaar, J. (graduation committee)
Degree granting institution
Delft University of Technology
Programme
Mechanical Engineering
Date
2021-08-26
Abstract
Robots can be powerful tools in post-stroke gait rehabilitation. However, state-of-the-art robots are often expensive machines containing rigid links with high inertia. Their expensiveness could limit their availability, and their high inertia reduces transparency, which could hinder rehabilitation progress. These factors raise the need for a minimalistic transparent robot that can effectively fill this gap. This research aims to design and validate such a device, a minimally actuated tendon-based exercise environment. The device is synthesized using an optimization algorithm that considers possible system configurations and optimizes both these configurations and their respective design parameters. Validation is done based on a reconstructed simulation of gait using motion capture on the optimal design to check whether it could be used for real-life rehabilitation. It was found that the most simplistic solution is not yet adequate for rehabilitation; thus, a slightly more complex design is required. While not providing the final solution, this research provides an important stepping stone towards designing a minimally actuated, simplistic, and transparent rehabilitation device.
Subject
gait
rehabilitation
stroke
optimization
MATE
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:7f63b317-5ba3-4458-a24c-a52336d019d7
Embargo date
2024-08-26
Part of collection
Student theses
Document type
master thesis
Rights
© 2021 Bram Haanen