SBIR Phase II: Force And Impedance-Based Exoskeleton Robots For Seamless Assistance And Neurologically Sound Rehabilitation

该项目更广泛的社会影响/商业潜力集中在改善中风、脊髓损伤和其他疾病导致的运动功能障碍患者的康复结果上。仅在美国，每年就有60万新的中风患者依靠传统的一对一治疗来康复。由于成本和劳动力的限制，他们没有得到完全恢复和最佳生活质量所需的持续、频繁和强化的训练。因此，中风护理指南建议在所有护理环境中使用机器人康复。使用外骨骼机器人提供机器人康复是医院、康复中心和老年人生活社区的一个引人注目的解决方案。除了提供频繁和强化的治疗外，这些设备还可以准确地测量患者的进展和个性化护理的表现。外骨骼也是有效康复方法的强大研究工具，并有可能通过为工业过程提供解决方案来改变制造业，这些工业过程过于复杂，无法实现完全自动化，对人类的体力要求太高。拟议的外骨骼设备减少了因事故和过度劳累而受伤的风险，适合重复性高压力任务的个人。其他成果包括提高生产力，减少缺勤和人员流失。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目推进了针对康复的外骨骼机器人的发展。很大一部分美国人需要神经肌肉损伤的强化康复服务。机器人康复已经引起了人们的关注，因为它有可能为患者带来更好的治疗效果。目前的机器人解决方案缺乏解剖学的移动性和柔顺的动态行为来产生神经健全的治疗行为。拟议的项目解决了这些缺陷，并将导致外骨骼机器人能够基本的高级康复行为。在第一阶段项目中，开发了一种高性能的力控执行器，它将成为实现预期行为的核心组件。在本项目中，外骨骼的物理结构和控制算法将设计和构建，重点关注动态透明度和与人体的运动学兼容性，以充分利用执行器的能力。此外，控制软件将使用反馈循环和带有性能指标的视觉交互环境来保持患者的参与。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader societal impact/commercial potential of this project centers on improving rehabilitation outcomes for individuals suffering from motor dysfunction due to stroke, spinal cord injury, and other conditions. In the US alone, there are 600,000 new stroke patients each year who rely on conventional one-on-one therapies for recovery. Due to cost and labor limitations they do not receive consistent, frequent, and intensive training needed for full recovery and optimal quality of life. As a result, stroke care guidelines recommend robotic rehabilitation in all care settings. Providing robotic rehabilitation using the proposed exoskeleton robots is a compelling solution for hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and senior living communities. In addition to providing frequent and intensive therapy, the devices can accurately measure patient progress and performance for personalized care. The exoskeletons are also a powerful research tool into effective rehabilitation methods and have the potential to transform the manufacturing sector by providing a solution for industrial processes that are too complex for full automation and too physically demanding for humans. The proposed exoskeleton devices reduce the risk of injury from accidents and overexertion for individuals performing repetitive, high-stress tasks. Additional results include increased productivity and decreased absenteeism and turn-over.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project advances the development of exoskeleton robots targeted at rehabilitation. A substantial portion of the US population requires intensive rehabilitation services for neuromuscular impairment. Robotic rehabilitation has attracted attention due to the potential for better patient outcomes. Current robotic solutions lack the anatomical mobility and compliant dynamic behavior to produce neurologically-sound therapeutic behaviors. The proposed project addresses these deficits and will result in exoskeleton robots capable of essential advanced rehabilitation behaviors. During the Phase I project, a high-performance, force-controlled actuator was developed and will be the core component enabling the desired behavior. In this project, the physical structures and control algorithms of the exoskeletons will be designed and built with a focus on dynamic transparency and kinematic compatibility with the human body to capitalize on the capabilities of the actuator. Additionally, the control software will use feedback loops and a visually interactive environment with performance metrics to keep patients engaged.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.