A Soft Exoskeleton for Hand Grip Augmentation and Fall Prevention Assistance in Tower Climbing

TL;DR

This paper introduces a soft exoskeleton to improve grip strength and prevent falls for workers climbing electrical towers.

Contribution

A fast-response actuator and dual-sensing module for real-time grip assistance in high-risk climbing tasks.

Findings

The actuator achieved a fast response time of 37.5 ms and sufficient locking force.

FES tests confirmed the system's ability to maintain grasp posture during involuntary hand extension.

Climbing experiments showed reliable transitions between locking and unlocking during movement.

Abstract

This study presents a soft exoskeleton system designed to enhance the safety of electrical maintenance personnel during tower climbing by augmenting the hand grip and providing fall prevention assistance. Inspired by biological principles, a compact, stroke-amplified, and fast-response actuator based on a spring energy storage–release mechanism was developed and evaluated through tensile and speed tests, demonstrating sufficient locking force and a fast response time of 37.5 ms. A dual-sensing module integrating pressure and flexible bending sensors was designed to detect grasping states in real time. System effectiveness was further validated through functional electrical stimulation (FES) and simulated climbing experiments. FES tests confirmed the system’s ability to maintain grasp posture under involuntary hand extension, while climbing experiments verified consistent and reliable transitions between locking and unlocking during movement. Although preliminary, these results suggest that integrating soft exoskeletons with rapid-response actuators offers a promising solution for improving grip stability and operational safety in high-risk vertical environments.

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