Kinematic Modeling and Characterization of a Wearable Tremor Suppression Device for Pathological Tremor Reduction

Wearable tremor suppression devices have been proposed as a promising alternative to suppress or reduce tremor motion associated with neurological disorders. To fully benefit patients, available tremor suppression devices need to be improved in their design, size, weight, and control. Although tendon-driven transmission systems are able to decrease the size and weight of these devices, they have complex control system requirements due to their substantially nonlinear behavior. For this purpose, this paper aims to develop a precise kinematic model of a wearable tremor suppression glove by considering the configuration of its tendons and sheaths, in order to improve the tendon arrangement, study the kinetic model of the glove, and increase the accuracy of the control system. A novel model is presented to calculate the tendon travel during hand motion. The derived kinematic model of the glove was verified by both simulation and benchtop experiments, and the new model has been validated. The mean correlation coefficient for the kinematic model is 0.90±0.01.