An actuator control unit for robotized prostethic arm with embedded energy storage

Author

Saponara, Sergio

Author_Institution

Dip. Ing. della Inf., Univ. of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

fYear

2015

fDate

10-13 June 2015

Firstpage

2115

Lastpage

2118

Abstract

The paper presents an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) with embedded energy storage up to 500 J to face safety critical applications such as the control of servomotors for a robotized prosthetic arm. Mechatronic devices for rehabilitation or assisted living of injured and/or elderly people are today available; in most cases are battery powered with lithium cells providing high energy density and low weight but at the expenses of a reduced robustness vs. lead acid or NiCd cells. The ECU of this work ensures full operation of the wearable robotized arm, controlled through acceleration and EMG (Electromyography) sensor signals, also in case of battery failure, by using supercapacitors as local energy tank.

Keywords

actuators; electromyography; embedded systems; energy storage; geriatrics; mechatronics; medical robotics; medical signal processing; patient rehabilitation; prosthetics; secondary cells; sensors; servomotors; ECU; EMG sensor signals; actuator control unit; assisted living; elderly people; electromyography sensor signals; electronic control unit; embedded energy storage; face safety critical applications; lithium cells; local energy tank; mechatronic devices; robotized prostethic arm; servomotor control; wearable robotized arm; Actuators; Batteries; Electromyography; Prosthetics; Robot sensing systems; Supercapacitors; Actuator Control Unit (ACU); Biomedical robotics; Embedded systems; Energy storage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Environment and Electrical Engineering (EEEIC), 2015 IEEE 15th International Conference on

Conference_Location

Rome

Print_ISBN

978-1-4799-7992-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/EEEIC.2015.7165504

Filename

7165504