Human Centered Biomechanics Driven Design of Wearable Robotic Assist Devices Using Additive Manufacturing

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_47How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Human-centered design; Biomechanics-driven modeling; Wearable robotics; Biomechanical assistive devices; Additive manufacturing; Digital twin; Generative design; Sustainable manufacturing; Topology optimization; Ergonomics

Abstract

Wearable robotic assist devices are increasingly integrated into rehabilitation, industrial ergonomics, and human performance augmentation. However, conventional designs are often anatomically diss conforming, overly heavy, and costly to customize and fabricate. To develop low-cost and lightweight, personalized, wearable robotic assist devices, we propose a human-centered, biomechanics-driven design approach, integrated with additive manufacturing. Using AM and this design approach, the simple biomechanical motion capture, surface electromyography (sEMG), and pressure-mapping sensors facilitates the quantification of joint kinematics, distribution of loads, and patterns of muscle activations during a given function-related task. These biomechanical analyses are constrained into designs via a computational framework that merges parametric design, topology optimization, and volume reduction with generative lattice structures, preserving the strength to weight ratio and overall structural integrity. This design approach creates a digital co-design methodology. This novel framework allows the virtual human model and assistive mechanism to interact, optimizing actuator position, control structure, and comfort interface geometry. Before production, multi-material additive manufacturing makes use of integrated flexible rigid hybrid structures, predesigned sensor channels, and modular components, and reduces overall assembly, manufacturing waste, and complexity. Experimental work showed better ergonomic fitment, reduction of 35–45% of device weight, improved energy use, and lower muscle fatigue in users as compared to traditionally manufactured devices. The proposed framework enables the manufacture of sustainable, on-demand, and patient-specific devices, while also shortening the time from prototype to deployment. The findings suggest that the combination of biomechanical engineering and smart manufacturing may yield scalable solutions for the emerging wearable robotic systems in healthcare and industrial use.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Lalit Sachdeva
AU  - Utkarsh Anand
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/31
TI  - Human Centered Biomechanics Driven Design of Wearable Robotic Assist Devices Using Additive Manufacturing
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advanced Design, Manufacturing, and Sustainable Energy Systems (ICADMSES 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 641
EP  - 657
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_47
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_47
ID  - Sachdeva2026
ER  -