Terrain Imaging and Adaptive Control of Exoskeletons

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Project Summary/Abstract Proposed is a system to enhance the capabilities, safety, and accessibility of exoskeletons through innovative 3D imaging and adaptive control. Significance: Medical exoskeletons are an exciting and emerging technology that can be found at over 270 rehabilitation centers around the world. Clinical evidence has shown that rehabilitation with exoskeletons can improve functional balance outside of the exoskeleton in people with motor incomplete SCI and can improve walking distance and gait speed for people recovering from a stroke at discharge compared to admission. While exoskeletons are sophisticated systems that have matured significantly and demonstrated clinical utility over the years, they are still primarily restricted to ambulating in a straight-line fashion across level flooring while aided by a physical therapist. Hypothesis: Our proposal aims to provide exoskeletons with the ability to traverse uneven terrain including slopes and staircases inside and outside of clinical settings and in the presence of obstacles. The system will fuse imaging information with the suit’s kinematic information and ground contact sensing to provide the exoskeleton’s control system and actuators with the required feedback to continuously adapt its balance and gait parameters to approach ground surfaces, dynamically adjusting to slopes & steps, avoiding tripping, or notifying the user that further forward movement is unsafe or unachievable. Specific Aims: In Phase II, IDL and its collaborators will: (1) Develop production-ready terrain sensing and actuator hardware and firmware, (2) Incorporate and integration test the system with an exoskeleton control system, and (3) Perform a human study and evaluation of the system.