SCIENCE PROJECTS
ELBOW EXOSKELETON
2016
This is one of my PhD research project. The goal is to build a lightweight whole arm exoskeleton for stroke therapy.
I explored the use of bowden cable transmission and came up with a custom torsion spring. The plastic version worked pretty well and then a metal version is created. Also included in the final assembly are custom ball bearing and cable driven differential. This project is not published yet.
HANDSOME II, THE FINGER EXOSELETON
2014-2015
To help stroke patients recover their ADL(activities of daily live), this passive finger exoskeleton is developed. It's rubber band driven and made of plastic. Because of its low cost, it's possible to custom this device for each patient to fit different hand sizes.
PASSIVELY SAFE HUMAN INTERATIVE ROBOT
2014
Click on the pictures and you'll find links to some awesome video.
At Disney Research Pittsburgh, we developed this beautiful human like robot. The actuator is based on passive fluid transmission with pairs of rolling diaphragm cylinders. The sealed working fluid ensures input-output symmetry and complete backdrivability.
We designed and built two robot arms that are connected by tubes pumped full of either air or water. As the video shows, if you move one of the arms using your hands, the other arm repeats those same movements.
2 DOF PROSTHESIS ANKLE TESTBED
2011-2013
At Carnegie Mellon University while I was doing my Master's degree, other than taking classes and doing homework, I jointed Prof.Collins lab and built a 2 DOF prosthesis ankle testbed. The tethered prosthesis has two independently-actuated toes. The sum of the two toe torques equals to the total plantarflexion torque. And the difference of them contributes to the inversion/eversion torque.
The prosthesis is actuated, via two bowden cables, by two powerful motors, and thus can simulate all kinds of ankle dynamics.