HRI: Maximizing Manipulation Capabilities of Persons with Disabilities Using a Smart Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic System

严重的身体和认知障碍使其很难或不可能进行日常生活活动(ADL)。拟议的跨学科研究和开发工作的主要目标是帮助肢体残疾人士使用智能9自由度模块化轮椅安装机械臂系统进行ADL。用户界面将采用具有力反射的触觉设备。将开发先进的控制算法，将轮椅的机动性与机械臂的操作相结合；并将使用基于传感器的速度调节和辅助功能，以扩大严重残疾人的操作范围和精度。这将通过解决一组基本的人-机器人协调和控制问题来实现：(1)设计传感器辅助比例遥操作的系统架构，以及(2)在任务优化控制方案中结合移动性和操纵性。这项工作将通过康复机器人的创新研究及其与本科生和研究生教育的结合，对工程界和健康科学界产生更广泛的影响。除了协助残疾人士进行日常生活活动外，拟议的计划亦可提供更佳的解决方案，改善他们的工作表现，从而提升他们的就业前景。

Severe physical and cognitive disabilities make it difficult or impossible to perform activities of daily living (ADL). The primary objective of the proposed interdisciplinary research and development effort is to assist persons with physical disabilities to perform ADLs using a smart 9-degree-of-freedom modular wheelchair-mounted robotic arm system. The user interface will employ a haptic device with force reflection. Advanced control algorithms for combining the mobility of the wheelchair with the manipulation of the robotic arm will be developed; and sensor-based velocity scaling and assist functions will be used to enhance manipulation range and accuracy for the severely disabled. This will be done by addressing a set of fundamental human-robot coordination and control issues: (1) design of system architecture for sensor assisted scaled teleoperation and (2) combined mobility and manipulation in a task-optimized control scheme. This work will provide a broader impact to both the engineering community and the health sciences community by innovative research in rehabilitation robotics and its integration with education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Besides assisting people with disabilities to do activities of daily living, the proposed project would strengthen their job prospects by providing better solutions to improve work place performance.