Feasibility Study of a Balanced Upper Arm Orthosis based on Bending Beams

People with neuromuscular diseases request an orthosis close to the body for assistance with their arm movements. This paper proposes a concept for a passive arm support that is close to the body and is based on bending beams. Simulations resulted in the final configuration and dimensions of the beams, optimised to balance an arm. One Carbon...

Statically Balanced Compliant Mechanisms: Theory and Synthesis

Neutrally stable vibration energy harvesting

This thesis brings together, for the first time, the fields of energy harvesting and static balancing. The proposal of two new architectures for the design of mechanical oscillators is supported by an extensive review on the existing energy harvesters. For the first one, a statically balanced oscillator, an analytically study proved it to be...

Design for specified stiffness in precision engineering

Precision engineering impacts every one, every day, by enabling the fabrication techniques and functions required for 21st technological revolutions. Various applications, from display technologies to sensor systems to optical networks make use of so called microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Motions at micro level with monolithic structures...

Design of a compact gravity equilibrator with an unlimited range of motion

A gravity equilibrator is a statically balanced system which is designed to counterbalance a mass such that any preferred position is eliminated and thereby the required operating effort to move the mass is greatly reduced. Current spring-to-mass gravity equilibrators are limited in their range of motion as a result of design limitations. An...

Design of a zero stiffness six degrees of freedom compliant precision stage

This paper presents the first zero stiffness six degrees of freedom (DoF) compliant precision stage. To deal with problems like backlash, friction and lubrication for performing ultra-precise positioning in a vacuum environment, a novel compliant structure is proposed. All six degrees of freedom are statically balanced (i.e. near zero stiffness)...

Design of an adjustable gravity equilibrator using torsion bars

Static balancing is a useful concept to reduce operating effort in mechanisms. A statically balanced system which is designed to counterbalance a mass, is referred to as a gravity equilibrator. The potential energy in a gravity equilibrator is constant, which in most of the times is achieved by mechanical springs. Often helical springs are used,...

Principle and design of a mobile arm support for people with muscular weakness

This article describes the development of a mobile arm support for people with muscular diseases. The arm support is spring-balanced, with special attention on reduction of operating effort (high balancing quality and low friction), functionality (large range of motion), and aesthetics (inconspicuous design). The spring settings can be adjusted...