Bimanual Assistive Robotic Platform for Neuroscience Research, Synthesized Skill Learning and Robotic Rehabilitation

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Advances in robotics are leading major changes in health care, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation. As we bring robots and other mechatronic devices in such a close contact with (or attachment to) humans, one of major challenges we face is how we should plan or “automate” the reactions to humans for different levels of assistance. This process also entails our in-depth understanding of neuroscientific principles that underline basic human motor behaviors. This RTI proposal seeks funding to purchase a bimanual assistive robotic platform to address these issues by bringing together experts in mechatronics, control theory, biomedical engineering, neuroscience and neuro-rehabilitation. Going beyond the boundaries of conventional disciplines, this research is aimed at 1) understanding computational mechanisms behind human sensorimotor learning, 2) realizing biologically-inspired robotic manipulation with human-like dexterity, and 3) developing intelligent control strategies for robotic rehabilitation therapies. The requested equipment is expected not only to propel on-going research projects for neuroscience programs and bio-inspired robotic manipulation, but also to foster a unique collaboration on robot-assisted rehabilitation therapies. The equipment will be used as an instrumented exoskeleton to carry out novel neuroscientific trials designed to understand underlying computational processes of goal-directed arm movements and their interplay with multiple modalities of senses (visual, tactile, force, and/or kinesthetic). Using the equipment as a stand-alone bimanual robotic arm, various motion control algorithms will be developed, which can replicate the dexterity and adaptability of human arms, in scenarios involving physical interactions with objects and the environment. Enabled by direct force feedback and assistive control architecture, the equipment serves an ideal platform to develop advanced control methods for robotic rehabilitation for patients with neurological disorders, which will lead to quicker recovery times. In the long term, the research to be enabled by the equipment will have impact on a wide range of areas, including neuroscience, manufacturing automation, medical robots, prosthetics, rehabilitation engineering, and public welfare for aging populations. The equipment can create a unique training environment for students in both engineering and health sciences by encouraging them to cultivate valuable knowledge sets blended across disciplines. This will make them not only better prepared for their respective disciplines, but also competitively qualified for emerging applications such as human-machine interface (HMI), medical automation, bioinformatics and robotic healthcare.