Interaction Control Capabilities of an MR-Compatible Compliant Actuator for Wrist Sensorimotor Protocols During fMRI

This paper describes the mechatronic design and characterization of a novel MR-compatible actuation system designed for a parallel force-feedback exoskeleton for measurement and/or assistance of wrist pointing movements during functional neuroimaging. The developed actuator is based on the interposition of custom compliant elements in series between a nonbackdrivable MR-compatible ultrasonic piezoelectric motor and the actuator output. The...