The design of soft-actuated upper-body exoskeletons for movement assistance and physical therapy

George, D. (2026) The design of soft-actuated upper-body exoskeletons for movement assistance and physical therapy. PhD thesis, University of Reading. doi: 10.48683/1926.00129237

Abstract/Summary

This thesis presents the design, implementation, and validation of novel soft-actuated exoskeletons for movement assistance and rehabilitation. Motivated by the need to enhance quality of life for individuals with neurological impairments, such as stroke survivors and spinal-cord-injured individuals, this work explores hybrid assistive devices that merge the comfort, compliance, and weight of soft actuators with the stability, reliability, and alignment provided by rigid structures. Two key systems were introduced: (1)a high degree-of-freedom(DOF) soft-actuated arm and spine exoskeleton that uses lightweight polyethylene pneumatic actuators integrated into a 3D-printed frame, achieving over seven DOFs including forearm and shoulder supination/pronation movements, easily carried and mobile, capable of 3-dimensional movement. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that the origami-inspired system delivers torques up to 4.46Nm, supports full 3D articulation, and effectively redistributes load through a segmented elastic spine, enabling wearable gravity compensation even for users with limited strength. (2)elastic-tensegrity joints inspired by biological tensegrity to unlock multi-axis flexibility while preserving mechanical reliability and user comfort. By unlocking the full range of soft-actuator motion and eliminating the rigidity and friction of traditional joints, these designs substantially enhance comfort, flexibility, and passive stability that demonstrate intelligent physical design can outperform control-based compensation. The elastic-tensegrity joints, when combined with electromyography(EMG) and electroencephalography (EEG) control, achieve smooth, adaptive motion, passive damping of tremors, and accurate intent detection (EMG accuracy 100%; EEG up to 82%, intent prediction is improved by zero-crossing methods), validating the feasibility of bi-manual rehabilitation and brain–machine interfacing without the electromagnetic interference associated with rigid actuators. Beyond hardware innovations, supporting studies include multimodal feedback experiments that enhance the sense of ownership(So O) over virtual limbs, suggesting synergistic potential for immersive therapies and aligning with the broader theme of reconnecting the brain–body loop. Together, these contributions address important gaps in current assistive technologies and the human-machine interface(HMI); affordability, accessibility, comfort, and adaptability, as well as opening up a new whole new generation of exoskeleton designs for clinical and at-home rehabilitation.

Item Type	Thesis (PhD)
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/129237
Identification Number/DOI	10.48683/1926.00129237
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Biomedical Sciences
Date on Title Page	2025
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