MRI-Development of an Open Architecture and Scalable Exoskeleton for Research on the Restoration of Ambulation of Persons with Diisabilities

MRI-开发开放式架构和可扩展外骨骼，用于残疾人行走恢复研究

• 批准号: 1625644
• 负责人: Ghaith Androwis
• 金额: $ 22.55万
• 依托单位: New Jersey Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-10-01 至 2019-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1625644&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Development; Open; Architecture; Scalable

This Major Research Instrumentation grant will develop a new experimental exoskeleton for rehabilitation that will stimulate a wide range of research studies to improve the lives of individuals who have difficulty walking due to a stroke, spinal cord injury or cerebral palsy. Studies have shown that individuals with ambulation disabilities express a preference for being able to walk independently in their communities. Robotic exoskeletons that have motors to assist with leg joint movement have sparked great interest, but have not yet been able to provide the quality of walking that meets user needs. Walking is robotic and slow, and only works on very flat surfaces. These devices do not yet work in the real world.This grant will allow New Jersey Institute of Technology to develop a research-quality exoskeleton that will be used in more than twelve projects aimed at improving the ability of exoskeletons to provide assistance in the home and community. The new exoskeleton will have powerful motors to support all major movements of the human leg, as well as a large array of sensors. It will have the computer power to explore exciting new approaches to both user and automatic control of walking and balance. The projects will address important engineering and scientific questions about human-robot interaction, and will produce more effective user-robot interfaces that are intuitive, easy to learn, and allow the user to keep his/her balance. This research will help define the capabilities that are essential in a commercial exoskeleton and will the next generation of commercial products. This work supports the mission of the NSF by providing essential technological study of robot controls, robot sensors and computational methods, human performance, and the neuroscience of walking. This science is essential to promoting further advances in neurorehabilitation services and rehabilitation product development. In addition, its presence in a major technological university will have a major impact on the education of graduate and undergraduate students, as well as bringing technological excitement to a large number of secondary school students.

这项重大研究仪器赠款将开发一种用于康复的新的实验性外骨骼，这将刺激广泛的研究研究，以改善因中风、脊髓损伤或脑瘫而行走困难的个人的生活。研究表明，行动不便的人倾向于能够在他们所在的社区独立行走。带有电机帮助腿部关节运动的机器人外骨骼已经引起了人们的极大兴趣，但还不能提供满足用户需求的步行质量。行走是机器人的，速度很慢，只能在非常平坦的表面上工作。这些设备在现实世界中还不起作用。这笔赠款将允许新泽西理工学院开发一种研究质量的外骨骼，将用于12个以上的项目，旨在提高外骨骼在家庭和社区提供帮助的能力。新的外骨骼将拥有强大的马达来支持人类腿部的所有主要运动，以及大量的传感器。它将拥有计算机能力，可以探索令人兴奋的新方法，既可以使用，也可以自动控制行走和平衡。这些项目将解决有关人-机器人交互的重要工程和科学问题，并将产生更有效的用户-机器人界面，这些界面直观、易于学习，并允许用户保持平衡。这项研究将有助于确定商业外骨骼所必需的能力，并将成为下一代商业产品的关键。这项工作通过提供关于机器人控制、机器人传感器和计算方法、人类表现和步行神经科学的基本技术研究，来支持NSF的任务。这一科学对于促进神经康复服务和康复产品开发的进一步进步至关重要。此外，它在一所主要的技术大学的存在将对研究生和本科生的教育产生重大影响，并为大量中学生带来技术刺激。