Design of Robotic Braces for Patients with Scoliosis

This paper presents a new robotic device, designed for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis (IS). Scoliosis is a complex 3D spine deformity. Hard braces are proved to be effective for its treatment but still have more shortcomings which needed to be overcome. Braces cannot realize specific control over vertebra and they also limit the daily work routine. They can cause pain, skin breakdown and bone deformations. The work performance of brace does not intend as per the users need. To solve these problems, we have designed a new robotic brace exerting “three-point pressure” with considerations of human biomechanics propertie. The robot is described from mechanical to control point of view. The robotic brace, based on a double Stewart-platform, has been designed, produced by rapid prototyping and then equipped with 12 linear actuators. Position control and force control approaches are nowadays available and implemented on an electronics/informatics device. This robotics brace has been used on a healthy person and then validated. The prototype version allows adjust dynamical force applied on human body to rectify the scoliosis.