Independent position-stiffness control for elbow rehabilitation robot with cable-based series elastic actuator

Rehabilitation robots should be able to adapt with physical characteristics of patient body in order to provide a safe and comfortable interaction. In this paper, an elbow rehabilitation robot with novel cable-based series elastic actuator is proposed. The cable actuation mechanism provides two parameters to adjust actuation torque and joint stiffness. An independent position-stiffness control algorithm is designed to independently control position and stiffness through the cablebased series elastic actuator. Finally, a simulation-based examination is used to illustrate ability of the elbow rehabilitation robot in providing appropriate elbow stiffness during the flexion and the extension movements.