Floating Prosthesis: A Wearable Passive Exoskeleton for Transradial Prosthesis Gravity Compensation
Ke Shi, Tongshu Chen, Maozeng Zhang, Jiejun Yan, Lifeng Zhu, Aiguo Song
Abstract
Gravitational loading from a transradial prosthesis imposes continuous mechanical stress on the residual limb, potentially causing discomfort and even prosthesis rejection. This letter presents the Floating Prosthesis, a wearable passive exoskeleton designed for gravity compensation (GC) in transradial prostheses. First, we introduce a GC mechanism based on a virtual counterweight, which provides a clear and systematic guideline for exoskeleton design. Based on this principle, a lightweight and structurally efficient prototype was developed using parallelogram linkages and a gas spring. The exoskeleton was then evaluated with an able-bodied participant wearing a residual limb simulator. Experimental results demonstrated significant reductions in both gravity-induced joint torques and residual limb–socket interaction forces, with mean values reduced by up to 77% and 76%, respectively, compared to the condition without the exoskeleton. These results validate the effectiveness of the proposed GC exoskeleton, highlighting its strong potential to improve comfort and usability for transradial prosthesis users.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{ral2026_floatingprosthes,
title = {Floating Prosthesis: A Wearable Passive Exoskeleton for Transradial Prosthesis Gravity Compensation},
author = {Ke Shi and Tongshu Chen and Maozeng Zhang and Jiejun Yan and Lifeng Zhu and Aiguo Song},
booktitle = {RA-L 2026},
year = {2026}
}