Interactive Robotic and Rehabilitation Systems

机器人正在成为医疗、航空航天、制造、搜索和救援等各个应用领域的重要工具。随着这种增长，人与机器人的物理交互(PHRI)水平更高，两者之间有更多的共享空间，因此，更有可能发生不安全的交互和碰撞。这项研究旨在开发通用的控制和传感策略，以确保PHRI的稳定性，并更好地对碰撞做出反应，以增加人类安全并将伤害风险降至最低。重点将放在康复机器人平台上，尽管结果同样适用于工业应用。鉴于移动对生活质量的重要性，本研究还研究了机器人和人类的两足行走平衡，并提出并验证了增强平衡障碍者平衡的交互技术。 该项目的第一个技术目标是开发一种通用的控制结构，该结构可以在不依赖于机器人或环境的准确动态模型的情况下确保稳定性和安全性。这些控制器将使用模拟工具以及申请人团队最近在Carleton的高级生物机电一体化和运动(ABL)实验室开发的新康复机器人工具进行验证。将开发一种新型的柔顺机器人肢体传感器和相关的反应控制器，可以最大限度地减少与人类碰撞时的受伤风险。所产生的系统的稳定性将使用相同的平台进行调查。将进行一系列验证实验，以验证使用这些新机器人提供的新颖足部触觉练习进行早期中风康复的可行性和效率。这项研究将结合ABL的两足机器人行走知识和新的传感器技术来测量人体平衡和预测跌倒。然后，这项研究将构思、开发和测试一种全触觉辅助设备，能够增强平衡障碍患者的平衡。由此产生的可穿戴生物反馈系统将使用户能够预测和调整自己的姿势以防止摔倒。 这项多学科研究将产生机械、生物医学和控制工程方面的重要知识。新的机器人系统和辅助设备可以改善许多加拿大人的生活质量，这些人正在从中风或强化手术中恢复，患有导致平衡障碍的神经或骨科疾病，或者患有限制行动能力的残疾。研究小组将与当地和国家医院的老年科、康复、骨科和儿科合作。预计还将与工业合作伙伴进行合作研究，将所获得的知识应用于开发可用于其未来产品的技术。

Robotics is emerging as an important tool in various application areas such as medical, aerospace, manufacturing, and search and rescue. With this growth, there is higher levels of physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI), there are more shared spaces between the two, and therefore, there is more potential for unsafe interactions and collisions. This research aims at developing generic control and sensing strategies which can ensure stability of pHRI and better react to collisions in order to increase human safety and minimize the risk of injuries. An emphasis will be given to rehabilitation robotic platforms though the results are equally applicable to industrial applications. Due to the importance of mobility to the quality of life, this research also investigates bipedal walking balance in robots and human and proposes and validates interactive technologies to enhance balance in people with balance impairment. The first technical goal of the project is to develop a generic control structure which can guarantee stability and safety without relying on accurate dynamic models from the robot or the environment. These controllers will be validated using simulation tools as well as the new rehabilitation robotic tools recently developed by the applicant’s team at the Advanced Biomechatronics and Locomotion (ABL) lab at Carleton. A novel compliant robot limb sensor and associated reactive controllers will be developed, which can minimize the risk of injuries in case of collisions with human. The stability of the resulting systems will be investigated using the same platforms. A series of validation experiments will be conducted on the feasibility and efficiency of early stroke rehabilitation using the novel foot-haptic exercises provided by these new robots. This research will combine the knowledge of bipedal robotic walking at ABL with new sensor techniques to measure balance and predict falls in humans. The research will then conceive, develop and test a full tactile assistive device capable of enhancing balance in people with balance impairment. The resulting wearable biofeedback system will enable users to anticipate and adjust their postures to prevent falls. This multidisciplinary research will generate significant knowledge in mechanical, biomedical, and controls engineering. The new robotic systems and assistive devices can improve the quality of life of many Canadians who are recovering from a stroke or intensive surgeries, have neural or orthopedic condition resulting in balance impairment, or have disabilities which restric their mobility. The research team will collaborate with geriatrics, rehabilitation, orthopedic, and pediatrics departments in local and national hospitals. Collaborative research is also expected with industrial partners to apply the resulting knowledge to develop technologies usable to their future products.