Arm Assist

(2018)

I was introduced to Dr. Dallali by my high school engineering teacher (Mr. Reige), i got an email that had this picture attached to it. I was interested and took up the project, so we eventually met up and talked about the device.

I was given this regular arm brace that restricted movement in the elbow to prevent re-injury. We had to create an interface for the high torque motor to rest on and move the forearm up and down. So, i started to Model and design the contraption in Fusion 360.

The Brackets

In order to attach the servo motor to the top arm, I had to design a bracket and cnc it out of thin aluminum bar. there has been a 2 variations of the brackets. One is a friction tightened, the other is spring pin engaged locks,

Brackets

The bottom bracket connects to the lower arm brace and to the servo flange. This is the moving piece that will cycle movement in the arm to help the patient work out the elbow joints. These brackets are the friction tightened that prevent the arm adjustment from moving.

Upper Arm

This is the design we ended up using for our working prototype. It seemed to work well, but there were still improvements to be made

The Spring Engaged Brackets

These brackets are engaged by the pins, as seen on the upper arm, that can be pushed down to disengaged and adjusted.

Bicep Clamp

In order to hold the brackets me and the professor designed a hinged arm "clamp" that can be tightened by Velcro which then clasps the arm. We put a thin layer of rubber on the inside to increase friction so the part does not rub and sits tightly but comfortably on the bicep.

Adjusting Functions

In order to adjust the device, I designed spring pins to engage and disengage the holes on the bracket allowing the user to slide the arm to the desired length.

Prototype

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