Design and Performance of the assist-feev3, a Compact, Lightweight Cable-Driven Device for Elbow Assistance in Older Adults for Home Use

Abstract

Abstract. The increasing global population of elderly individuals presents critical challenges for maintaining health, autonomy, and quality of life. Regular physical exercise is a key strategy to counteract age-related muscular decline and frailty, yet many older adults face barriers in accessing or adhering to exercise programs. To address this challenge, it is proposed a design and evaluation of assist-feev3, a cable-driven device that is specifically developed to support elbow motion assistance for elderly users in nonclinical environments. The system is designed for home use, offering ease of operation, real-time monitoring, and the potential for remote supervision by physiotherapy experts. The assist-feev3 integrates lightweight and commercial materials to enable effective force transmission through a cable-driven arrangement without compromising user comfort. A structured testing campaign was conducted with healthy volunteers to validate the device's motion support capabilities and user adaptability. Results demonstrate its effectiveness in facilitating elbow flexion–extension exercises with low user effort and high repeatability. The device's performance, combined with its compact form factor and data-logging features, makes it a promising solution for promoting daily upper-limb exercise among older adults.