The A-Gear robotic arm in use. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Twente
Researchers have developed A-Gear: a robotic arm that can support the daily activities of people suffering the muscular disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. They recently put the final touches to the 1st prototype for a discreet, body-connected support aid that can be worn under the clothing and that can support independent operation of the arm during important daily activities. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy occurs in1 in 5000 live born boys. The muscles become weaker during their life. As a result, boys with Duchenne lose the ability to use their arms until, eventually, they are unable to use them at all.
Over the past 4 years, the researchers have been working on 2 arm supports: a passive arm support – controlled by the user, without motors – and an active arm support – powered by motors that are controlled by the user. The active arm support is controlled by electrical (EMG) muscle signals or minimum muscle strength from the arm, which makes movement as intuitive and natural as possible.
In order to assess their design, the researchers compared the arm functionality of boys with Duchenne with and without A-Gear arm support. “During the research, there were a number of participants who had been unable to independently move their arms for between 3 and 5 years and they were able to complete the tests set out in the tasks. The freedom of movement and the functionality of the arm increased when the subjects used the prototype. In addition, the movements required less energy,” adds Joan Lobo-Prat, researcher at the MIRA research centre for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine.
The researchers not only looked into a technical solution, they also obtained more insight into the development of arm function through the Duchenne Dynamic Arm Study (DDAS). By measuring the arm function of patients of different ages, they were able to obtain an impression of how the arm function changes over the course of the illness and accordingly, how to adjust the arm support over time.
Although the results of the A-Gear project have provided new insights into the appearance of support aids such as these, much work is yet to be done in various areas. At the moment, a review is being carried out to work out what the next steps should be to convert the prototype into a product that can be used effectively. https://www.utwente.nl/en/news/!/2016/1/468156/ut-develops-robotic-arm-for-duchenne-patients
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