A 7R Spatial Linkage for Ankle Rehabilitation with an Arbitrary Ankle Rotation Axis

In this paper, a 7R spatial linkage for ankle rehabilitation was proposed. Thanks to its kinematic geometry, the output joint, which is accommodated by the patient's ankle, of the linkage can possess an arbitrary joint axis at any configuration. This advantage allows the patient achieving a flexible ankle motion in 3-D space while performing the rehabilitation exercise. The design concept of the 7R linkage is explained, and the displacement and force relationships between the input and output joints (i.e., the motor and patient's ankle) are analyzed through an equivalent RSSR linkage. A prototype is built to validate the proposed design concept.