Portable, robotic footwear for real-time control of foot-ground stiffness

项目摘要/摘要 对独立性和生活质量有有害影响的运动和平衡障碍 由多种神经和肌肉骨骼疾病以及正常衰老引起。在存在的同时 治疗方法可以对抗一些功能障碍，一些病理是持久的，如负重 不对称和适应性降低。这些病理是由物质的动力学强烈定义的 脚和地面之间的相互作用。因此，迫切需要新的工具来研究，并最终 帮助或重新培训人类如何管理他们与地面的物理互动。建议的目标是 研究是为了使对运动学习和人类适应的新研究成为可能，并提供一个可获得的、 通过开发便携式机器人鞋来有效地进行步态和平衡康复 可以实时修改脚-地界面的刚度。这项工作的重大贡献包括：1) 创造技术能力，以改变真实世界和实验室中的脚-地相互作用动态 设置，2)启用研究、辅助和重新训练人类步态和安全带的新方法，3)显著 通过量化人类对脚-地相互作用长期变化的适应来促进科学知识的发展 动力学，一个研究不足的领域，以及4)通过提供一种便携式工具来改善临床实践 使新的治疗方法、预防性干预措施和早期诊断广泛可用。拟议的研究 是创新的，因为它将采用跨学科的方法，应用神经运动控制的概念， 生物力学和机器人学，以开发一种用于研究、辅助和康复的新型机器人设备。这 该提案涉及以下具体目标： 目标1：设计、制造和评估可主动调节脚-地的便携式机器人鞋 并独立测量每只脚的地面反作用力。 我们将设计、制造和验证带有主动机制的机器人鞋，以调节脚-地 实时的界面刚性。刚性控制系统和机载传感器将严格评估 台架测试的有效性和可靠性，以及一项对健康参与者进行全身运动的先导研究 佩戴该设备时，可完成平衡和行走任务。人体测试也将评估感知到的安全性， 舒适性和系统的整体可用性。 目的2：探讨机器人鞋不对称降低足-地刚度的效果。 人类站立和行走时的运动行为。 还将对健康参与者进行另一项初步研究，以评估人类运动行为 对主动脚-地刚度调制的响应变化。结果将向您提供有关 用于基础和临床研究的机器人鞋以及用于理解人类的模型的开发 运动和平衡的神经运动控制。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Locomotor and balance dysfunction, which have a pernicious effect on independence and quality of life, are caused by of a broad range of neural and musculoskeletal disorders as well as normal aging. While existing treatment methods can counter some dysfunctions, some pathologies are persistent, such as weight-bearing asymmetry and reduced adaptability. These pathologies are strongly defined by the dynamics of the physical interaction between the feet and the ground. Thus, there is a critical need for novel tools to study, and ultimately assist or re-train, how humans manage their physical interaction with the ground. The objective of the proposed research is to enable new research into motor learning and human adaptation and provide an accessible, effective vehicle for gait and balance rehabilitation through the development of portable robotic footwear which can modify stiffness at the foot-ground interface in real-time. The significant contributions of this work include: 1) creating the technical capability to change foot-ground interaction dynamics in both real-world and laboratory settings, 2) enabling new methods of studying, assisting, and re-training human gait and balace, 3) significantly advancing scientific knowledge by quantifying human adaptation to long-term changes in foot-ground interaction dynamics, an understudied area of research, and 4) improving clinical practice by providing a portable tool to make new treatments, preventative interventions, and early diagnoses widely accessible. The proposed research is innovative because it will employ a transdisciplinary approach, applying concepts from neuromotor control, biomechanics, and robotics, to develop a novel robotic device for research, assistance, and rehabilitation. This proposal addresses the following specific aims: Aim 1: Design, build and evaluate portable, robotic footwear that can actively modulate foot-ground stiffness and measure the ground reaction forces of each foot independently. We will design, fabricate, and validate robotic footwear with an active mechanism to modulate foot-ground interface stiffness in real-time. The stiffness control system and onboard sensors will be rigorously evaluated for validity and reliability with bench testing along with a pilot study with healthy participants performing whole-body balance and walking tasks while wearing the device. Human testing will also evaluate the perceived safety, comfort, and overall usability of the system. Aim 2: Explore the effect of asymmetrically reducing foot-ground stiffness with the robotic footwear on human motor behavior during standing and walking. An additional pilot study will be conducted with healthy participants to assess how human motor behavior changes in response to active foot-ground stiffness modulation. Results will inform the potential utility of the robotic footwear for basic and clinical research applications and the development of models to understand human neuromotor control of locomotion and balance.