NRI: Simulation Guided Design To Optimize the Performance of Robotic Lower Limb Prostheses

该项目的目标是使用复杂的人体计算机模型来帮助设计下一代机器人假肢技术，最大限度地提高下肢截肢者的活动能力。该项目的主要成果将是改进假肢装置的设计方法，减少对身体的负荷，使行走更容易。该项目的成功将提高下肢截肢者的生活质量，增加他们的活动能力和参与日常生活活动的能力。拟议的研究是特别相关的老年截肢者的残肢不能承受显着的负荷。该奖项还将支持下一代工程师和科学家的培训，以及针对初中和高中教师及其学生的创新STEM机器人项目的开发。该项目专注于为辅助机器人设备创建新的设计流程，以帮助行动障碍人士。使用建模和仿真，将确定最佳的机器人形式和控制。该项目的案例研究是为膝下截肢者开发假肢。该项目的指导原则是考虑人的完整和改变的解剖结构，并开发不限于拟人化模仿的解决方案。详细的肌肉骨骼模型和最佳控制模拟将用于指导机器人假体开发过程，以优化负载条件，同时最大限度地减少代谢能量消耗。在这个过程中，最佳的假体形式和规格最初是未知的，并通过预测模拟生成。然后将对结果进行逆向工程，以开发机器人踝关节假体，从而为膝下截肢者提供这些最佳步态模式。这种方法将在以后扩展，以最大限度地提高其他协作机器人系统的性能，如外骨骼和其他康复机器人。

The goal of this project is to use sophisticated computer models of the human body to help design the next generation of robotic prosthetic technologies that maximize mobility for lower-limb amputees. The major outcome of this project will be an improved approach for designing prosthetic devices that reduce loading on the body and make walking easier. The success of this project will improve the quality of life for lower limb amputees by increasing their mobility and their ability to participate in the activities of daily life. The proposed research is especially relevant for older amputees whose residual limbs cannot tolerate significant loading. This award will also support the training of the next generation of engineers and scientists and the development of an innovative STEM robotics program targeted toward middle and high school teachers and their students.This project is focused on creating a new design process for assistive robotic devices that aid people with mobility impairments. Using modeling and simulation, optimal robot forms and controls will be identified. The case study for this project is the development of prostheses for below-knee amputees. The guiding principle of the project is to consider the complete and altered anatomy of the person and develop solutions that are not limited to anthropomorphic mimicry. Detailed musculoskeletal models and optimal control simulations will be used to guide the robotic prosthesis development process towards optimized loading conditions while minimizing metabolic energy consumption. In this process, the optimal prosthesis form and specifications are initially unknown and are generated through predictive simulations. The results will then be reverse-engineered to develop robotic ankle prostheses that enable these optimal gait patterns for below-knee amputees. This approach will later be extended to maximize the performance of other co-robot systems such as exoskeletons and other rehabilitation robots.