Asna Kalsoom

The emergence of surgical robots has revolutionized complex operations, improving precision, lowering operating risks, and shortening recovery periods. Given the merits, an eight degrees of freedom (DOF) hybrid surgical robot (HSR) has been proposed, which leverages the benefits of both serial and parallel manipulators. However, its performance is hindered by the constrained range of motion of its parallel platform. To address the issue, this research presents a systematic approach for designing and optimizing the proposed HSR. The first step is the design of the HSR, followed by a multi-stage design analysis of its parallel platform, concentrating on kinematic, geometrical, and singularity analysis. Higher values of the condition number indicate singular configurations in the platform’s workspace, highlighting the need for an optimized design. For optimization of the platform, performance parameters like global condition number (GCN), actuator forces, and stiffness are identified. Initially, the design is optimized by targeting GCN only through a genetic algorithm (GA). This approach compromised the other parameters and raised the need for simultaneous optimization employing a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA II). It offered a better trade-off between performance parameters. To further assess the working of the optimized parallel platform, workspace analysis and motion planning of a predefined trajectory have been performed.

Neurological disorders like stroke are one of the main causes of motor dysfunction and gait function disabilities in humans. These disorders impact the mobility of patients often leading to weakened and impaired ankle joints which further compromise their balance and walking abilities. Over the span of the last twenty years, there has been a rising interest in designing, developing, and using rehabilitative robots for patients suffering from various ankle joint disabilities. These robotic devices are developed by employing diverse mechanical designs, materials, and control strategies. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed overview of the recent developments in mechanical design, actuation, and control strategies of ankle rehabilitation robots. Experimental evaluation of the discussed ankle robots has also been carried out discussing their results and limitations. This article concludes by highlighting future challenges and opportunities for the advancement of ankle rehabilitation robots, stressing the need for robust and effective devices to better serve patients.