Using kinesthetic feedback to improve human-robotic control

感觉和运动功能的无缝集成使人类能够毫不费力地移动四肢与环境互动。控制人类手臂的关键是持续的感觉反馈，包括视觉，本体感觉（四肢在空间中的位置）和动觉（运动感觉），这些都迅速融入运动执行。当回路中有机器时，这种通信中断，这是高级机器人控制所需的。将来自机器人机器的相关感觉反馈集成到自然的感觉运动人类过程中应该可以提高这些设备的可控性。** 动觉错觉（kinesthetic illusion，KI）是一种引发运动感觉的方法，它对于成功控制真实的（或可能是机器人）肢体的终点至关重要。KI是一种知觉错觉，通过振动肌肉肌腱，尽管肢体是静止的，但却会产生肢体在移动的感觉。我的研究将调查KI是否可以集成到人类对机器人系统的控制中，以提高定位和抓取任务的准确性。在我的第一个研究主题中，我将定义实用的方法，通过操纵实验因素，如振动，皮肤拉伸，肌肉收缩和视觉输入，在健康成年人中可靠地产生运动感觉。这项工作将提供关于如何优化动觉错觉体验的基本知识。我的第二个研究主题将探讨如何动觉感觉可以集成到机器人系统的功能控制。我将研究使用KI来提高机器人定位和抓取任务的控制精度的能力。**这项工作将为我的长期研究目标提供信息，即实施新的技术方法，以非侵入性方式与人类进行交互，从而始终如一地传达具有复杂关节运动的外部机器人设备的状态。这些信息将为研究界提供新的知识，通过外部实验因素操纵KI的经验，并导致新技术的发展，这将与正在进行的研究有关，使用自然集成反馈的人机控制应用。通过利用感觉-运动整合的神经生理学的现有知识，我的研究将为这些技术的实际翻译提供坚实的基础，以提供从机器人机器到人类用户的有效反馈。

A seamless integration of sensation and motor function allows humans to effortlessly move their limbs to interact with the environment. Crucial to control of a human arm is continuous sensory feedback encompassing vision, proprioception (the sense of where the limbs are in space) and kinesthesia (movement sense), which are rapidly integrated into motor execution. This communication is disrupted when there is a machine in the loop, as is required for advanced robotic control. Integrating relevant sensory feedback from a robotic machine into natural sensory-motor human processes should improve the controllability of these devices. ******The kinesthetic illusion (KI) is one method for eliciting movement sensation, which is critical to successful endpoint control of a real (or possibly a robotic) limb. The KI is a perceptual illusion whereby vibrating the muscle tendons creates the feeling as though the limb is moving, although it is stationary. My research will investigate whether the KI can be integrated into a human's control of a robotic system to enhance the accuracy of positioning and grasping tasks. In my first research theme, I will define practical approaches to reliably produce movement sensations in healthy adults by manipulating experimental factors such as vibration, skin stretch, muscle contraction, and visual input. This work will provide essential knowledge on how to optimize the experience of the kinesthetic illusion. My second research theme will explore how kinesthetic sensations can be integrated into functional control of a robotic system. I will investigate the ability to use the KI to enhance robotic control accuracy for positioning and gripping tasks.******This work will inform my long-term research objective which is to implement new technical approaches to non-invasively interface with humans to consistently communicate the state of an external robotic device with complex joint movements. This information will provide new knowledge for the research community on manipulating the experience of the KI through external experimental factors, and result in the development of new techniques that will have relevance for ongoing research on the use of naturally integrated feedback for human-robotic control applications. By harnessing existing knowledge of the neurophysiology of sensory-motor integration, my research will provide a sound basis for practical translation of these techniques to provide effective feedback from robotic machines to human users.**