Download or read book Design of a Powered Lower limb Exoskeleton and Control for Gait Assistance in Paraplegics written by Ryan James Farris and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Powered Lower Limb Exoskeleton Supplemented with FES for Gait Assistance in Paraplegic Patients written by Hugo Alberto Quintero and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Wearable Robotics written by Jacob Rosen and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-11-16 with total page 551 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wearable Robotics: Systems and Applications provides a comprehensive overview of the entire field of wearable robotics, including active orthotics (exoskeleton) and active prosthetics for the upper and lower limb and full body. In its two major sections, wearable robotics systems are described from both engineering perspectives and their application in medicine and industry. Systems and applications at various levels of the development cycle are presented, including those that are still under active research and development, systems that are under preliminary or full clinical trials, and those in commercialized products. This book is a great resource for anyone working in this field, including researchers, industry professionals and those who want to use it as a teaching mechanism. Provides a comprehensive overview of the entire field, with both engineering and medical perspectives Helps readers quickly and efficiently design and develop wearable robotics for healthcare applications

Download or read book Energy Shaping Control of Powered Lower limb Exoskeletons for Assistance of Human Locomotion written by Ge Lv and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The majority of powered lower-limb exoskeletons nowadays are designed to rigidly track time-based kinematic patterns, which forces users to follow specific joint positions. This kinematic control approach is limited to replicating the normative joint kinematics associated with one specific task and user at a time. These pre-defined trajectories cannot adjust to continuously varying activities or changes in user behavior associated with learning during gait rehabilitation. Time-based kinematic control approach must also recognize the user’s intent to transition from one task-specific controller to another, which is susceptible to errors in intent recognition and does not allow for a continuous range of activities. Moreover, fixed joint patterns also do not facilitate active learning during gait rehabilitation. People with partial or full volitional control of their lower extremities should be allowed to adjust their joint kinematics during the learning process based on corrections from the therapist. To address this issue, we propose that instead of tracking reference kinematic patterns, kinetic goals (for example, energy or force) can be enforced to provide a flexible learning environment and allow the user to choose their own kinematic patterns for different locomotor tasks. In this dissertation, we focus on an energetic control approach that shapes the Lagrangian of the human body and exoskeleton in closed loop. This energetic control approach, known as energy shaping, controls the system energy to a specific analytical function of the system state in order to induce different dynamics via the Euler-Lagrange equations. By explicitly modeling holonomic contact constraints in the dynamics, we transform the conventional Lagrangian dynamics into the equivalent constrained dynamics that have fewer (or possibly zero) unactuated coordinates. Based on these constrained dynamics, the matching conditions, which determine what energetic properties of the human body can be shaped, become easier to satisfy. By satisfying matching conditions for human-robot systems with arbitrary system dimension and degrees of actuation, we are therefore able to present a complete theoretical framework for underactuated energy shaping that incorporates both environmental and human interaction. Simulation results on a human-like biped model and experimental results with able-bodied subjects across a variety of locomotor tasks have demonstrated the potential clinical benefits of the proposed control approach.

Download or read book 2005 IEEE Workshop on Advanced Robotics and Its Social Impacts Nagoya Japan June 12 15 2005 written by and published by Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers(IEEE). This book was released on 2005 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Wearable Robots written by José L. Pons and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-15 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A wearable robot is a mechatronic system that is designed around the shape and function of the human body, with segments and joints corresponding to those of the person it is externally coupled with. Teleoperation and power amplification were the first applications, but after recent technological advances the range of application fields has widened. Increasing recognition from the scientific community means that this technology is now employed in telemanipulation, man-amplification, neuromotor control research and rehabilitation, and to assist with impaired human motor control. Logical in structure and original in its global orientation, this volume gives a full overview of wearable robotics, providing the reader with a complete understanding of the key applications and technologies suitable for its development. The main topics are demonstrated through two detailed case studies; one on a lower limb active orthosis for a human leg, and one on a wearable robot that suppresses upper limb tremor. These examples highlight the difficulties and potentialities in this area of technology, illustrating how design decisions should be made based on these. As well as discussing the cognitive interaction between human and robot, this comprehensive text also covers: the mechanics of the wearable robot and it’s biomechanical interaction with the user, including state-of-the-art technologies that enable sensory and motor interaction between human (biological) and wearable artificial (mechatronic) systems; the basis for bioinspiration and biomimetism, general rules for the development of biologically-inspired designs, and how these could serve recursively as biological models to explain biological systems; the study on the development of networks for wearable robotics. Wearable Robotics: Biomechatronic Exoskeletons will appeal to lecturers, senior undergraduate students, postgraduates and other researchers of medical, electrical and bio engineering who are interested in the area of assistive robotics. Active system developers in this sector of the engineering industry will also find it an informative and welcome resource.

Download or read book On the Dynamics and Control of a Medical Exoskeleton written by Dong Jin Hyun and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A number of passive orthoses have been developed to provide gait assistance and rehabilitation for individuals who have lost the ability to walk. However, the required metabolic cost for legged mobility with conventional orthoses is huge, preventing its daily use. Using the forces/torques generated by external actuators is one of the effective ways to solve the problem induced from the considerable effort required for orthotic gait. For that, design of a compact, efficient and light weight actuation system and its delicate control are required. In Chapter 1, Powered Reciprocating Hip Orthosis, a novel hip actuator making use of the coupling hip mechanism of the reciprocating gait orthosis (RGO) is proposed. The RGO, a wearable and passive orthosis, provides paralyzed patients with hands-free standing and the ability for dynamic ambulation without any external actuation. Therefore, the mechanism of the RGO can be utilized effectively for improving the hip actuator design for a powered lower limb orthosis. Starting with this motivation, a powered limb orthosis combined with the conventional RGO was designed and its control structure was implemented on a paraplegic subject (T12 complete). First, a dynamic analysis is presented to identify and better understand the potential use of the RGO mechanism. For the analysis, the simple RGO dynamic model at a single support phase is obtained and its equations of motion are derived using Lagrange's equations of motion. Through the physical interpretation provided by the inverse dynamics, it is proved that the required maximum hip torque for stance phase is significantly decreased when the RGO hip coupling mechanism is applied. An unproved torso stability provided by the design is also investigated. Subsequently, overall control structure with a user-interface module is introduced to provide basic functions to the powered orthosis for locomotion. While implementing the designed orthosis with the human subject, a difficult problem on the dorsiflexion-activated passive knee orthosis of the conventional RGO is discussed and leads to Chapter 2: Friction Damping Control Knee Orthosis. A simple, but effective, microprocessor orthotic knee control method is presented with a novel knee joint design and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor in Chapter 2. First, an electric hardware and a control structure with the IMU sensor are introduced. Next, to understand the knee dynamics and determine a control strategy, a lower extremity model is set up. Using this model, a dynamic analysis for ballistic walking with overshooting and circumduction of the hip joint motion, and downstairs walking is executed with the experimental hip motion data. Based on the observations for human hip joint motion and the obtained dynamic simulation results, a friction damping control method is proposed. Its implementation enables natural walking on level ground and provides the appropriate resistance of the knee joint in downstairs walking for assistance and safety to normal human subjects using the designed knee orthosis.

Download or read book DESIGN AND OPERATION OF MINIMALLY ACTUATED MEDICAL EXOSKELETONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PARALYSIS written by Wayne Yi-Wei Tung and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Powered lower-extremity exoskeletons have traditionally used four to ten powered degrees of freedom to provide ambulation assistance for individuals with spinal cord injury. Systems with numerous high-impedance powered degrees of freedom commonly suffer from cumbersome walking dynamics and decreased utility due to added weight and increased control complexity. This work proposes a new approach to powered exoskeleton design that minimizes actuation and control complexity through embedding intelligence into the hardware. Two novel, minimally actuated exoskeleton systems (the Austin and the Ryan) are presented in this dissertation. Unlike conventional powered exoskeletons, the presented devices use a single motor for each exoskeleton leg in conjunction with a unique hip-knee coupling system to enable their users to walk, sit, and stand. The two types of joint coupling systems used are as follows. The Austin Exoskeleton employs a bio-inspired mechanical joint coupling system designed to mimic the biarticular coupling of human leg muscles. This system allows a single actuator to power both hip and knee motions simultaneously. More specifically, when the mechanical hamstring and rectus femoris of the exoskeleton are activated, power from the hip actuator is transferred to the knee, generating synchronized hip-knee flexion and extension. The coupling mechanism is switched on and off at specific phases of the gait (and the sit-stand cycle) to generate the desired joint trajectories. The device has been proven to be successful in assisting a complete T12 paraplegic subject to walk, sit, and stand. The Ryan Exoskeleton (also called the Passive Knee Exoskeleton) uses dynamic joint coupling. Dynamic joint coupling refers to a method of generating knee rotation through deliberate swinging of the hip joint. This minimalistic system is the first powered exoskeleton that weighs less than 20 pounds and has a compact form factor that more closely resembles a reciprocating gait orthosis than a conventional exoskeleton. The Passive Knee Exoskeleton has been validated by several SCI test pilots with injury levels ranging from T5 to T12. The lightweight, ambulation-centric assistive device have been tested to be able to comfortably reach an average ambulation speed of 0.27 m/s and have demonstrated high levels of maneuverability. The dynamic joint coupling paradigm has been proven to be effective especially for newly injured individuals who have not yet developed significant amounts of joint contracture or sustain high levels of spasticity. Overall, this dissertation focuses on the design and operation of the Austin and Ryan Exoskeletons.

Download or read book Development and Control of a Pediatric Lower Limb Exoskeleton for Gait Guidance written by Anthony Clarence C. Goo and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Several genetic, developmental and neurological disorders can cause various levels of gait impairment in the pediatric population. Powered lower limb orthoses, or exoskeletons, have recently been used to address gait impairment and afford therapists alternative solutions and strategies for gait therapy. Most exoskeleton research has focused on the adult population while the pediatric population remains underserved. The limitations of current pediatric exoskeletons make them impractical for use in both community and clinical settings. Furthermore, exoskeleton controllers suitable for these environments should promote human volitional control while guiding the subject towards a dynamically stable healthy gait pattern. This dissertation presents the design of a pediatric lower limb exoskeleton and the application of a virtual constraint-based controller on the device. First, a small and lightweight exoskeleton joint actuator capable of delivering the torque and power requirements needed to assist and guide the hip and knee joints was developed. Testing and in-air gait tracking of a model leg in a provisional orthosis demonstrated that the joint actuators were suitable for use in a pediatric exoskeleton. Second, an adjustable exoskeleton frame was designed and fabricated, and a human factors assessment of the fully assembled pediatric lower limb exoskeleton demonstrated that the device was lightweight, comfortable, easily adjustable and suitable for children. Third, a virtual constraint-based controller was applied on an underactuated adult exoskeleton. This initial investigation demonstrated that virtual constraint-based control guided the subject towards a dynamically stable gait in a time-invariant manner, provided greater volitional control to the subject and promoted active participation in the walking exercise. Finally, this dissertation research concluded with the application of a virtual constraint-based controller on the pediatric lower limb exoskeleton in treadmill walking experiments. The results showed that virtual constraint-based control reduced gait variability and the amount of robotic intervention applied relative to proportional-derivative control. Subject feedback also indicated that the virtual constraint-based controller was easier to use compared to time-based proportional-derivative control. This dissertation research demonstrates that the developed exoskeleton is suitable as an investigative platform for pediatric exoskeleton controllers and that virtual constraint-based controllers have potential for the rehabilitation and guidance of pediatric gait.

Download or read book Mechatronics and Machine Vision in Practice 3 written by John Billingsley and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-04-04 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In contrast with previous books on mechatronics and machine vision in practice, a significant number of chapters focus on systems designed for human interaction and deciphering human motion. Examples illustrate assistive actuation of hip joints, the augmentation of touch sense in artificial hand prostheses and helping stroke survivors in repetitive motion therapy. Interactive mechatronics and the experience of developing machine interfaces has enabled an examination of how we use mechatronics in the service of training, and even to consider why computer games perhaps appear to capture attention so much more readily than a human instructor! Mechatronics continues to be an exciting and developing field. It is now an essential part of our world and living experience. This and the previous books in this series illustrate the journey in developing the use of mechatronics so far. We anticipate that you will find the chapters here an equal source of inspiration for new devices to solve the challenges of new applications, and of course as a resource for teaching and inspiring the new generation of mechatronics engineers.

Download or read book Mechanism Design for Robotics written by Marco Ceccarelli and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-06-21 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MEDER 2018, the IFToMM International Symposium on Mechanism Design for Robotics, was the fourth event in a series that was started in 2010 as a specific conference activity on mechanisms for robots. The aim of the MEDER Symposium is to bring researchers, industry professionals, and students together from a broad range of disciplines dealing with mechanisms for robots, in an intimate, collegial, and stimulating environment. In the 2018 MEDER event, we received significant attention regarding this initiative, as can be seen by the fact that the Proceedings contain contributions by authors from all around the world. The Proceedings of the MEDER 2018 Symposium have been published within the Springer book series on MMS, and the book contains 52 papers that have been selected after review for oral presentation. These papers cover several aspects of the wide field of robotics dealing with mechanism aspects in theory, design, numerical evaluations, and applications. This Special Issue of Robotics (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/robotics/special_issues/MDR) has been obtained as a result of a second review process and selection, but all the papers that have been accepted for MEDER 2018 are of very good quality with interesting contents that are suitable for journal publication, and the selection process has been difficult.

Download or read book DESIGN OF LIGHTWEIGHT ASSISTIVE EXOSKELETONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MOBILITY DISORDERS written by Michael McKinley and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are over 270,000 people in the United States suffering from spinal cord injury. Currently, the wheelchair is the most commonly prescribed mobility solution for these individuals. Unfortunately, numerous health problems can be developed as a side effect of extended sitting. Studies have indicated that standing and walking for wheelchair bound individuals can improve overall health and mitigate these secondary health risks. Several passive walking devices exist, however these approaches are impractical due to the high metabolic cost associated with walking. Powered lower extremity exoskeletons have the capacity to substantially improve overall health and mobility of paralyzed individuals. The practicality of previous mobile medical exoskeletons has been limited due to cumbersome walking dynamics, high system mass and high cost. This work introduces the Steven Exoskeleton, a lightweight minimally actuated assistive exoskeleton developed as a device that can be intuitively adopted by manual wheelchair users. This device builds off of the successes of several generations of low cost medical exoskeletons developed at the UC Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory. Several elements of exoskeleton gait have been refined for the Steven Exoskeleton allowing better control of walking speed with more fluid walking dynamics. By smoothing hip trajectories and increasing stride length it has been possible to increase overall speed and pilot comfort. New hardware allows tunable hip and spine flexibility, improving pilot performance and adaptability. Through hardware and control refinement, comfortable walking speed has been increased to 0.48m/s from a previous maximum of 0.27m/s. Higher walking speed makes the device more useful for locomotion and allows greater independence in society. The Steven Exoskeleton was designed to bridge the gap between seated and standing operation by assisting the user in a new range of postures. This approach expands pilot capabilities while seated and increases overall utility as a tool. This work also discusses a new approach to increase the reliability, and safety of standup and sit-down. Consistent standup and sit-down enables individuals to be self-sufficient with the possibility of full operation without a spotter. The adaptability of this device has enabled testing in laboratory and real world environments with pilots exhibiting a variety of medical conditions. The success of the Steven Exoskeleton and associated control and hardware adaptions moves devices of this nature closer to widespread adoption by paraplegics.

Download or read book Development and Design of Lower Extremity Exoskeletons for Paraplegics written by and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paraplegics are a type of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) disabled persons who need walking assistance for day-to-day mobility. Reciprocating Gait Orthosis (RGO) and Exoskeletons are widely used walking systems to support lower extremities for successful walking. Stability has been a major concern while designing such walking support systems. This research is an attempt to design an Exoskeleton with necessary walking stability based on humanoid bipedal robot. A parallel-serial chain, 25 axes of rotation, legs-only Exoskeleton named "Lower Extremity Exoskeleton Robot (LEE Robot)" was designed, modeled and simulated for walking stability using posture adjustment and the law of balance techniques. The actuator torque requirements were calculated and controlled by implementing Proportional Derivative (PD) controllers for posture adjustment and walking balance. The most widely used Zero Moment Point (ZMP) technique was implemented in the simulation to test the Exoskeleton walking to be in the stability zone. The LEE Robot is expected to provide hands free walking to the paraplegics. Therefore, an important feature of fall protection was implemented and tested with a conceptual framework which included fall detection, fall avoidance and fall protection. The fall protection was achieved by calculating the coutner initial velocity of the swing foot end-effector and applying it as an input to the differential motion planning. Finally, the LEE Robot was analyzed for its structural strength using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to assess the feasibility of realizing it as a useable device.

Download or read book Design and Motion Control of a Lower Limb Robotic Exoskeleton written by Ümit Önen and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This chapter presents the results of research work on design, actuator selection and motion control of a lower extremity exoskeleton developed to provide legged mobility to spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals. The exoskeleton has two degrees of freedom per leg. Hip and knee joints are actuated in the sagittal plane by using DC servomotors. Additional effort supplied by user's arms through crutches is defined as user support rate (USR). Experimentally determined USR values are considered in actuator torque computations for achieving a realistic actuator selection. A custom-embedded system is used to control exoskeleton. Reference joint trajectories are determined by using clinical gait analysis (CGA). Three-loop cascade controllers with current, velocity and position feedback are designed for controlling the joint motions of the exoskeleton. A non-linear ARX model is used to determine controller parameters. Overall performance and an assistive effect of WSE-2 are experimentally investigated by conducting tests with a paraplegic patient with T10 complete injury.

Download or read book Interfacing Humans and Robots for Gait Assistance and Rehabilitation written by Carlos A. Cifuentes and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-09-16 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concepts represented in this textbook are explored for the first time in assistive and rehabilitation robotics, which is the combination of physical, cognitive, and social human-robot interaction to empower gait rehabilitation and assist human mobility. The aim is to consolidate the methodologies, modules, and technologies implemented in lower-limb exoskeletons, smart walkers, and social robots when human gait assistance and rehabilitation are the primary targets. This book presents the combination of emergent technologies in healthcare applications and robotics science, such as soft robotics, force control, novel sensing methods, brain-computer interfaces, serious games, automatic learning, and motion planning. From the clinical perspective, case studies are presented for testing and evaluating how those robots interact with humans, analyzing acceptance, perception, biomechanics factors, and physiological mechanisms of recovery during the robotic assistance or therapy. Interfacing Humans and Robots for Gait Assistance and Rehabilitation will enable undergraduate and graduate students of biomedical engineering, rehabilitation engineering, robotics, and health sciences to understand the clinical needs, technology, and science of human-robot interaction behind robotic devices for rehabilitation, and the evidence and implications related to the implementation of those devices in actual therapy and daily life applications.

Download or read book Bioinspired Legged Locomotion written by Maziar Ahmad Sharbafi and published by Butterworth-Heinemann. This book was released on 2017-11-21 with total page 698 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bioinspired Legged Locomotion: Models, Concepts, Control and Applications explores the universe of legged robots, bringing in perspectives from engineering, biology, motion science, and medicine to provide a comprehensive overview of the field. With comprehensive coverage, each chapter brings outlines, and an abstract, introduction, new developments, and a summary. Beginning with bio-inspired locomotion concepts, the book's editors present a thorough review of current literature that is followed by a more detailed view of bouncing, swinging, and balancing, the three fundamental sub functions of locomotion. This part is closed with a presentation of conceptual models for locomotion. Next, the book explores bio-inspired body design, discussing the concepts of motion control, stability, efficiency, and robustness. The morphology of legged robots follows this discussion, including biped and quadruped designs. Finally, a section on high-level control and applications discusses neuromuscular models, closing the book with examples of applications and discussions of performance, efficiency, and robustness. At the end, the editors share their perspective on the future directions of each area, presenting state-of-the-art knowledge on the subject using a structured and consistent approach that will help researchers in both academia and industry formulate a better understanding of bioinspired legged robotic locomotion and quickly apply the concepts in research or products. Presents state-of-the-art control approaches with biological relevance Provides a thorough understanding of the principles of organization of biological locomotion Teaches the organization of complex systems based on low-dimensional motion concepts/control Acts as a guideline reference for future robots/assistive devices with legged architecture Includes a selective bibliography on the most relevant published articles

Download or read book Design of the Trunk and Torso of a Lower Limb Exoskeleton written by Maja Paar and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lower-limb exoskeletons are used to allow paraplegic people to walk and are attached to a person's lower body, extending from the back to the feet. The motorized hip, knee, and ankle joints allow paraplegic patients to simulatable able-bodied walking. Many exoskeletons on the market and in development are not being chosen over wheelchairs because they lack comfort, require a lot of energy to use, and need to be custom-manufactured for each user. Due to these limitations, I worked on making changes to the trunk and torso portions of the exoskeleton. This included adding extra degrees of freedom to the hip joints so it more realistically mimics walking and therefore makes movement easier. Previously, the hips only moved forward and backward, leaving the abduction and adduction joint at zero degrees. In addition to the existing forward and backward motion of the hip joints, there is now the ability to adjust the angle of abduction and adduction. There is added adjustability to the torso so that it can be worn by a wide range of people and does not have to be custom-manufactured for each user. Simple adjustments can be made in a matter of minutes to expand or contract for different users' size requirements. The hip joints can also be moved forward and backward so that the center of rotation of the device lines up with the user's hip's center of rotation, which is crucial to a realistic, comfortable gait. These improvements aid in making the device more comfortable and less strenuous to use as well as easing the testing process.