Playskin Air™: A Pediatric Pneumatic Exoskeleton for Children with Upper Extremity Disabilities

Children with upper extremity (UE) movement impairments may have difficulty performing activities of daily living. Exoskeletons have the potential to help children with UE disabilities better interact with their environment. This paper presents the development and evaluation of the novel, soft, pneumatic exoskeletal garment, the Playskin Air (TM), aimed at enhancing shoulder abduction for children with UE movement impairments. The assistive effects and utility of the Playskin Air (TM) were evaluated for a 7-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy. The results showed that the Playskin Air (TM) increased active shoulder abduction and improved UE activity performance for the participant after a 2-week period of practice with the exoskeleton. The participant and his parents rated the exoskeleton positively in terms of ease of use and donning/doffing, comfort, appearance, and not limiting other activities. The study highlights that a soft, active UE exoskeleton may be feasible and effective for children with UE movement impairments. It also highlights that a period of learning may be necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of UE exoskeletons.