A PROTOTYPE OF DIRECT-DRIVEN ELBOW ORTHOSIS ACTELMO WITH HARD AND MYO ON/OFF CONTROL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59277/RRST-EE.2026.2.28Keywords:
Active orthosis, Upper limb, Elbow, Muscle electromyographic (EMG) signal, On/off controlAbstract
Elbow joint disorders occur after stroke and other neurological disorders, daily or sports traumas, etc. Rehabilitation with technical devices is a promising approach for helping these people return to normal life. To present an active wearable direct-driven elbow orthosis, ActElMO, and to conduct experiments with healthy subjects. The 3D-printed orthosis, with its anatomical design, is directly driven by an electrical actuator. The onset of elbow flexion can be set manually, without user effort, or via an electromyographic (EMG) signal from the biceps brachii (BIC) muscle. Experiments with 10 healthy subjects at various flexion velocities used this on/off EMG control, with individual thresholds set. The EMG signals from the muscles BIC and triceps brachii, and the elbow angle were recorded and processed. Different ways of EMG signal processing were tested. The chosen electrical motor provides sufficient power for rapid forearm movement with the orthosis. The device, including its trunk attachment, is user-friendly and convenient. The EMG signal from the BIC muscle is suitable for on/off control.
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