Feasibility Study and Development of Wearable Upper Limb Orthoses Using Shape Memory Alloy Actuators

Nowadays, one of the main challenges in the development of upper limb orthoses is to create devices that are lightweight, user-friendly, and functional for patients during their daily routines. The principal aim of this project is to carry out a feasibility study and then design a hand orthosis that combines specific technical fabrics with shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators. This idea is part of a larger project carried out in collaboration with Moveo, an Italian start-up that developed Exoband, a passive exoskeleton, and another company specializing in SMA actuators. After the realization of the prototype, this work focuses on a test methodology to evaluate the main characteristics of the device, analyze the data, and compare them with other studies to establish the quality of this device and the possibilities for improvement. The second part of this work concerns a prototype of a shoulder orthosis. In this case, the work focuses on two aspects: the integration of technical fabric into an already designed prototype and drafting of a possible method to test its functionality. The final part of this work consists of the analysis of the data and the conclusions about these two prototypes.

Nowadays, one of the main challenges in the development of upper limb orthoses is to create devices that are lightweight, user-friendly, and functional for patients during their daily routines. The principal aim of this project is to carry out a feasibility study and then design a hand orthosis that combines specific technical fabrics with shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators. This idea is part of a larger project carried out in collaboration with Moveo, an Italian start-up that developed Exoband, a passive exoskeleton, and another company specializing in SMA actuators. After the realization of the prototype, this work focuses on a test methodology to evaluate the main characteristics of the device, analyze the data, and compare them with other studies to establish the quality of this device and the possibilities for improvement. The second part of this work concerns a prototype of a shoulder orthosis. In this case, my work focuses on two aspects: the integration of technical fabric into an already designed prototype and drafting of a possible method to test its functionality. The final part of this work consists of the analysis of the data and the conclusions about these two prototypes.