Environmental Imaging and Control for Exoskeletons to Improve Safety and Mobility

创新设计实验室(IDL)建议创建一个系统来改善外骨骼的移动性和控制。 最近的研究发现，386万美国人需要轮椅，这一数字一直是 以年均5.9%的速度递增。虽然轮椅提供了自由，允许 轮椅使用者既要独立，又要减少对他人的依赖，轮椅的使用不受身体或 在情感上等同于步行，通常被认为限制了社区的参与，从而加剧了 社会孤立。机器人外骨骼/仿生服有可能使这些人站起来 和行走，从而为这些人更充分地重新融入社会提供了一种方式。我们的建议旨在 解决限制外骨骼在家庭和社区广泛采用的障碍之一-- 用户无法动态控制步态参数。这一概念有可能显著地 改变外骨骼的工作方式，促进其进入市场。假设：我们假设 建议的解决方案将为用户提供一种实用的方法来调整他们的西装步态，以准确地实现他们的 航海目标。具体目标：第一阶段：1)建立原型并进行初步实验室测试； 2)开发和基准算法；以及3)使用外骨骼进行原型的先导性人体研究 受试者。阶段II：1)开发定制的、可投入生产的硬件和固件2)与 外骨骼控制系统；以及3)通过人体研究测试对该系统进行评估。

Innovative Design Labs (IDL) proposes to create a system to improve the mobility and control of exoskeletons. Recent research has found that 3.86 million Americans require wheelchairs and the number has been increasing annually by an average annual rate of 5.9% per year. While wheelchairs provide freedom, allowing users to be independent as well as reducing dependence upon others, wheelchair use is not physically or emotionally equivalent to walking and is often thought to limit community participation and thus exacerbate social isolation. Robotic exoskeletons/bionic suits have the potential to enable these individuals to stand up and walk, thus providing a way to more fully reintegrate these individuals into society. Our proposal seeks to address one of the hurdles limiting the widespread adoption of exoskeletons in the home and community—the inability of the user to dynamically control gait parameters. This concept has the potential to significantly change the way exoskeletons work and facilitate their adoption into the market. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the proposed solution will provide users a practical way to adjust their suit’s gait to precisely achieve their navigational goals. Specific Aims: Phase I: 1) Build a prototype and Perform Preliminary Laboratory Testing; 2) Develop and Benchmark Algorithms; and 3) Perform Pilot Human Study of Prototype with Exoskeleton Subjects. Phase II: 1) Develop Customized, Production-Ready Hardware and Firmware 2) Integrate with Exoskeleton Control System; and 3) Perform an evaluation of the system through human study testing.