Robotic Assistive Arm

I was contacted by one of my friends asking if I would be willing to help out a father with a problem he was having.

His name is Bodo, and his daughter got sick, causing her to lose control of her left arm. His idea was to create a brace that would help her regain control of her arm by temporarily moving it for her, controlled by the electrical signals being sent from her brain to her arm, until she could do it herself. The brace had to be small, and light, while still being powerful enough to move her arm.

I made calculations in order to determine what linear actuator to use, where the pivots on the brace needed to be to maximize the output of the linear actuator, as well as providing advice on design and materials for the brace.

I am now happy to say that Lorelei now has full control of her arm!