Interactive Robotic and Rehabilitation Systems

机器人技术正在成为医疗、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，有更高水平的物理人机交互（pHRI），两者之间有更多的共享空间，因此，有更多的潜在不安全的交互和碰撞。本研究旨在开发通用的控制和传感策略，可以确保pHRI的稳定性，并更好地对碰撞作出反应，以提高人体安全性，并最大限度地减少受伤的风险。重点将给予康复机器人平台，虽然结果同样适用于工业应用。由于移动性对生活质量的重要性，本研究还研究了机器人和人类的双足步行平衡，并提出和验证了交互式技术，以提高平衡障碍人群的平衡。 该项目的第一个技术目标是开发一种通用的控制结构，可以保证稳定性和安全性，而不依赖于机器人或环境的精确动态模型。这些控制器将使用模拟工具以及申请人团队最近在卡尔顿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。一种新型的顺应性机器人肢体传感器和相关的反应控制器将被开发，它可以最大限度地减少与人类碰撞的情况下受伤的风险。将使用相同的平台研究所得到的系统的稳定性。一系列的验证实验将进行早期中风康复的可行性和效率，使用这些新的机器人提供的新颖的脚触觉练习。这项研究将结合联合收割机的知识，双足机器人步行在ABL与新的传感器技术，以测量平衡和预测福尔斯在人类。然后，该研究将构思、开发和测试一种能够增强平衡障碍者平衡能力的完整触觉辅助设备。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他们的姿势，以防止福尔斯。 这种多学科的研究将产生在机械，生物医学和控制工程的重要知识。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密集手术中恢复，患有神经或骨科疾病导致平衡障碍，或患有限制行动能力的残疾。研究小组将与地方和国家医院的老年科、康复科、骨科和儿科合作。预计还将与工业合作伙伴进行合作研究，以应用所获得的知识来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.