People with severe trunk impairments cannot maintain or control upright posture during sitting or reaching out with the upper body. Passive orthoses are clinically available to support the trunk and promote the use of upper extremities in this population. However, these orthoses only rigidly position the torso on a wheelchair but do not facilitate movement of the trunk. In this dissertation, we introduce a novel active-assistive torso brace system for upperbody movements by a subject while seated. We have named this system as Wheelchair Robot for Active Postural Support (WRAPS). We propose designs of two robots, one for the pelvis and the other for the trunk. Each of the two devices has a parallel chain architecture to accommodate the range of motion (ROM), respectively for the pelvic and thoracic segments. The first thoracic robot was designed for the upper trunk motion relative to the pelvis. It has a 2[RP]S-2UPS architecture which provides four degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) to the end-effector placed on the upper trunk. The second is a pelvic robot which is designed to orient the pelvic segment relative to the seat. It has a 3-DOF [RRR]U-2[RR]S architecture, coupled with translation to accommodate pelvic movements relative to the seat. These robot architectures are synthesized based on human movement data. WRAPS can modulate the displacement of both the pelvic and the thoracic segments. Additionally, the forces can be applied on the torso through the end-effectors of these robots. Each of the robot prototypes was evaluated with able-bodied subjects to assess the device wearability, kinematic performances, and control system.

Indian club swinging (ICS) is a training modality that has a rich history across the world (Simpson & Jalli, 2009). Countless practitioners of ICS have praised the physiological benefits they have received from ICS, but there remains a paucity in the objective literature demonstrating these benefits. This dissertation aimed to assess and better understand the physiological and performance changes experienced by an individual participating in an acute bout of repetitive and submaximal upper extremity exercise with Indian clubs (ICs). Chapter 3 examined the impact of an 8-minute bout of ICS by objectively assessing the joint mobility and musculoskeletal performance of individuals after performing the ICS routine. The results showed that isokinetic peak torque and relative peak torque at 60°∙sec-1 during the D2 diagonal pattern away from the body were significantly greater in the IC condition when compared with the control. Also examined was the feasibility of using eight 1-hour practice sessions with novice club swingers to develop ICS competency to perform 8 minutes of continuous swinging. The results demonstrated that this amount of practice would be adequate to teach novice club swingers the appropriate form/technique to complete the ICS routine safely. Chapter 4 compared active shoulder mobility and isokinetic strength, endurance, and power in participants after a standardized dynamic warm-up routine for the upper extremity, consisting of repetitive, low-intensity, large range of motion movements under three separate conditions (holding 2lb ICs, 2lb dumbbells, or no external load). The results showed that internal rotation of the glenohumeral joint improved in active range of motion in the IC condition and was significantly greater than both the dumbbell and no external load groups. Peak torque and total work during isokinetic shoulder flexion at 60°∙sec-1 was significantly greater for IC compared with the dumbbell condition but not the no external load condition, and total work during isokinetic shoulder internal rotation at 180°∙sec-1 was significantly greater for IC compared with the dumbbell condition but not the no external load condition. Self-reported perceived experiences of participants after each condition were also examined in this chapter. The results showed that participants felt more warmed-up and more fatigued after the IC and dumbbell condition compared with the no external load condition. High enjoyment values were reported for all three warm-up conditions. Chapter 5 compared shoulder internal rotation range of motion and girdle stability between exercise conditions (IC and no external load) measured before and after a standardized warm-up. The results showed active internal rotation improved after the IC condition compared to the no external load condition, and the Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) scores improved after participants performed either the IC or the no external load warm-up. Participants’ perceived exertion increased significantly after performing either the IC or the no external load warm-up, but they reported significantly higher perceived exertion after performing the IC warm-up compared with no external load. Participants’ affective responses were lower after performing the IC condition compared with the no external load condition but were not significantly different between rested and warmed-up ratings in either condition. In conclusion, performing a warm-up with ICs can result in improved strength, endurance, power, stability and mobility in the upper extremity. It will also increase the intensity and perceived exertion of the warm-up but does not diminish the enjoyment and affective response the participant experiences. Additionally, individuals do not have to perform traditional ICS exercises to experience the positive benefits of using ICs as a tool to enhance their warm-up. Using a regressed version of traditional ICS patterns that are easier to perform is an acceptable and effective way to incorporate Indian clubs into the warm-up phase of an exercise session.