Stroke Rehab Using Negative Stiffness Compliant Shell Mechanisms
Author:
Angela Ziganshina ’25Co-Authors:
Faculty Mentor(s):
Charles Kim, Mechanical EngineeringFunding Source:
James L. D. and Rebecca RoserAbstract
The goal of this project was to characterize, verify, and optimize compliant shell geometry that exhibited prolonged negative stiffness. Because research into devices exhibiting negative stiffness is limited, this project added to basic scientific knowledge about such mechanical structures and added to the field’s understanding of them. In addition to this, this research worked towards helping patients in stroke rehabilitation in their journeys of recovery. The approach to this project was greatly motivated by the need for negative stiffness within a rehabilitation device. This is precisely what maximizes the efficiency of repetitive rehabilitation exercises, such as bending of the fingers for hand recovery after a stroke, which was my focus.