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Feasibility Of Twisted Coiled Polymer Actuators For Use In Upper Limb Wearable Rehabilitation Devices, Brandon P.R. Edmonds

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Throughout your lifetime, it is nearly impossible to avoid at least one musculoskeletal condition that requires rehabilitation, and for a world containing billions of people, the costs associated with these conditions have become a huge economic burden. Nevertheless, the scientific community has become increasingly aware of the growing potential for wearable mechatronic systems to assist with upper-limb musculoskeletal rehabilitation; however, one limiting factor to their clinical acceptance lies in the development of actuation solutions. Conventional actuators are rigid and cylindrical in nature, requiring additional features to provide the proper forces, torques, and motion direction, required for human interaction. Another type …