A Structurally Enhanced Neck Exoskeleton to Assist with Head-Neck Motion

This paper presents the design of a neck exoskeleton to assist with head-neck motion for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Motor neuron degeneration caused by ALS can lead to neck muscle weakness, resulting in head drop (chin-on-chest posture). Current treatment using static neck collars is inadequate because these collars completely immobilize the head. A powered neck exoskeleton (Columbia exoskeleton) was previously developed to assist with head-neck movements but its structural limitations hindered its usability for patients with severe head drop. In this paper, we introduce the Utah neck exoskeleton which improved the structural stability of the previous Columbia design by (1) optimizing the transmission efficiency and range of motion, and (2) using more precise mechanical components. We quantified the structural stability of the Utah neck exoskeleton and demonstrated its usability with a healthy volunteer. The results show that the Utah neck exoskeleton has a suitable structure to potentially assist with head-neck movements for patients with severe ALS head drop.