We are delighted to share the publication of our researchers' latest work titled "Feasibility Study of an Active Ball Joint Mechanism for a Wheelchair-Mounted 2-DOF Shoulder Exoskeleton" in ICAR!

In this study, they evaluate the feasibility of using an active ball joint mechanism in a 3D-printed 2 degrees of freedom (DOF) exoskeleton for wheelchair users with upper-limb muscle weakness. The goal was to assess its effectiveness in assisting shoulder movements during activities of daily living (ADL). Results showed promising range of motion and reduced muscular fatigue, indicating the potential for a compact and accessible solution to support upper limbs in ADL tasks. On average, three healthy participants wearing the exoskeleton could reach 100% range of motion (ROM) of the required ADL workspace in shoulder flexion and 81% in shoulder abduction. Moreover, they had a delayed onset of muscular fatigue by 144s (113%) during muscular endurance tasks. During the exoskeleton's validation in two ADL tasks, the muscular activity in the anterior deltoid decreased by 48% during drinking tasks and 51% during combing tasks. These findings show that the proposed mechanism used in shoulder exoskeletons can provide a compact and accessible solution for assisting the upper limbs. Congrats to our exceptional researchers on this significant publication!

To explore the full paper, follow this link: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10406507