Passive mechanical exoskeleton to reduce hand fatigue

摘要

A passive mechanical system comprising an unpowered exoskeleton to maintain static grip around an object via a tendon drive and ratchet mechanism. The ratchet mechanism combines a passive cable retract and ratchet system with one or more cables acting as artificial tendons. When a user wishes to keep their hand in a specific position around an object, the ratchet system is engaged. A cable retract mechanisim keeps the artifical tendon taught at all times. The combination of these systems allows for the user to keep grip on objects without the need to input force over time thereby reducing fatigue.