Restoration of singing ability to quadriplegic professional singer
Tendon-Drive Force transmission
Tendon wrap construction mimics the natural action of the abdominal muscles, which apply pressure circumferentially.
The user inputs the position setpoint for the tendon via a joystick. A DC brushless motor is actuated accordingly under PD position control. This motor tightens the tendon by winding it onto a drum. The tendon encircles the user's abdomen, and a cushion at the ventral abdomen redirects the belt tension onto the abdomen surface, providing enhanced pressure.
Biomimetic Test Platform
In order to rapidly prototype the breathing assistance device, a biofidelic abdomen was developed. Following the method of Rouhana et al., a replica abdomen was fabricated with two layers:
- a shell of 30A durometer silicone rubber (Mold Max 30, Smooth-On, Inc.)
- a plug of flexible polyurethane foam (FlexFoam-iT!, Smooth-On, Inc.)
In contrast to traditional fabrication methods, this device was cast in three steps from 3D-printed mold sections. Among the advantages of this method provides are:
- tunable outer layer thickness
- incorporation of point cloud data from 3D scanners
- possibility of rapid design changes
- incorporation of sensors into the skin
Presentation at 한국로봇학회 제9회 한국로봇종합학술대회 논문집 (The 9th Korea Robotics Society Annual Conference): 호흡 재활 보조 로봇 개발용 복부 모형 제작 (Simulated Human Abdomen Device for Development of a Respiratory Rehabilitation Device)
initial prototype
Biomimetic abdomen
