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. 2018;30(5):251-258.
doi: 10.1080/10400435.2017.1320690. Epub 2017 May 25.

Design and development of the first exoskeletal garment to enhance arm mobility for children with movement impairments

Martha L Hall  1   2   3 , Michele A Lobo  2   3
Affiliations

Design and development of the first exoskeletal garment to enhance arm mobility for children with movement impairments

Martha L Hall et al. Assist Technol. 2018.

Abstract

Children with a variety of diagnoses have impairments that limit their arm function. Despite the fact that arm function is important for early learning and activities of daily living, there are few tools to assist movement for these children, and existing devices have challenges related to cost, accessibility, comfort, and aesthetics. In this article, we describe the design process and development of the first garment-based exoskeleton to assist arm movement in young children with movement impairments: the Playskin LiftTM. We outline our design process, which contrasts with the traditional medical model in that it is interdisciplinary, user-centered, and addresses the broad needs of users, rather than device function alone. Then we report the results of field-testing with the initial prototype with respect to our design metrics on a toddler with significant bilateral arm movement impairments. Finally, we summarize our ongoing development aimed at increasing comfort, aesthetics, and accessibility of the garment. The interdisciplinary, user-centered approach to assistive technology design presented here can result in innovative and impactful design solutions that translate to the real world.

Keywords: assistive technology; design for disability; functional design; open source design; user-centered; wearable technology.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
User-centered conceptual model for designing assistive/rehabilitative wearable technology, expanded from the consumer needs model of Lamb and Kallal (1992).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Our cyclical design process for this project.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Computer-aided drawing of the initial selected solution. The prototype was a onesie-style garment featuring a snap front closure with crotch strap, underarm casings made of composite material to house the wire bundles, and attached nylon webbing belt and wrist straps to stabilize the supports.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The refined prototype (Playskin Lift™), shown with the removable wire bundles (bottom). The device is made with white nylon spandex powernet fabric with a zipper closure. The crotch strap and belt have been removed. The white soft Velstretch™ wrist straps are detached for use if needed. The casings under each arm are made with PVC composite fabric.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Screenshot of one step from the open-source DIY fabrication manual. This manual is a step-by-step guide for making a version of the Playskin Lift™ using a commercial onesie or shirt-style child’s garment (available for download at the following link: http://sites.udel.edu/pt/michele-lobo/).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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