FURI | Fall 2024

Design and Characterization of a 3D Printed, Highly Back-Drivable Cable-Driven Actuator for Gait Rehabilitation

Powered exoskeletons have been popularly used to design gait rehabilitation treatment in the last decade. However, such exoskeletons have a trade-off between torque density and back-drivability. This study details the design and control of a quasi-direct drive actuator that allows lower-extremity joint control using bilaterally opposing cables. The actuator utilizes a brushless DC motor driven QDD paired with a belt drive and planetary gear system to simulate a 9:1 reduction ratio. The actuator’s torque capability and bandwidth are tested using a bench test setup. The study aims to determine if the described actuator can be sufficient in gait studies.