Multibody modelling to prototype next generation portable exoskeletons for everyday assistance

想象一下，一位工程师准备设计一种创新的便携式外骨骼，用于日常援助。在研究目前各种解决方案时，他面临着以下问题：外骨骼是应该电动的，还是应该配备反重力机制？如果是这样的话，有哪些发动机或机械装置？外骨骼是应该像《铁人》电影中那样厚，还是应该像《外穿衣》一样薄？是否应该分开考虑肌肉无力的补偿和负重时的力量增加？ 包括NBC新闻和路透社在内的几家期刊表示，外骨骼市场的峰值增长将在未来5-10年内达到20-30亿美元，这将确保数千名工程师面临这些问题。 建模和计算机模拟可以帮助回答这些问题，并优化下一代便携式外骨骼的设计。特别是，多体动力学建模是对相互关联的刚体或柔体的动力学行为进行建模，其中每个刚体或柔体都可能经历较大的平移和转动位移，完全类似于“人体+外骨骼”系统。 我研究的长期目标是开发一种颠覆性的建模和仿真工具，以支持铰接式医疗设备的设计，包括外骨骼、动态矫形器和用于辅助或康复的机械臂。这一目标将包括新的铰接式医疗设备的后续开发。这项研究计划的短期目标是开发一种新的建模和仿真工具来设计下一代便携式外骨骼。这一目标将包括开发两个新的真正的原型，这将是技术上的世界第一：1.第一个电动便携式上肢外骨骼，它仍然不存在；2.第一个能够跟随肌肉力量退化的进化的下肢外骨骼。 这项研究将直接受益于我们卓越的研究环境：我们的系统实时量化关节和肌肉所做的努力，这是控制下一代外骨骼的关键；我们的儿科康复技术团队配备了高端3D打印机来制作外骨骼原型，并能够进行试验；我们的加拿大工业和临床合作伙伴，以及我们的国际合作伙伴，可以使用象征性多体动力学建模软件等工具。 这项研究计划将带来不同工程领域的新发表的知识和技能：多体动力学建模、生物力学、运动分析、外骨骼原型和控制。它将支持HQP的培训，使其成为这些令人兴奋的领域的下一代创新者，并将为加快外骨骼市场的增长做出贡献。

Imagine an engineer geared to design an innovative portable exoskeleton for everyday assistance. While looking at the variety of current solutions, he is confronted to the following questions: Should the exoskeleton be motorized, or equipped with anti-gravity mechanisms? If so, which motors or mechanisms? Should the exoskeleton be as thick as in the "Ironman" movie, or thin as an "exosuit"? Should one consider separately the compensation for muscle weakness vs. the strength increase to carry heavy weights? Several journals including NBC News and Reuters indicated that a peak growth of the exoskeleton market will reach $ 2-3 billion in the next 5-10 years, making sure that thousands of engineers will be confronted to these questions. Modeling and computer simulations could help answer these questions and optimize the design of next-generation portable exoskeletons. Especially, "multibody dynamic modeling" is the modeling of the dynamic behavior of interconnected rigid or flexible bodies, each of which may undergo large translational and rotational displacements, exactly like the "human body + exoskeleton" system. The long-term objective of my research is to develop a disruptive modeling and simulation tool to support the design of articulated medical devices, including exoskeletons, dynamic orthoses and robotic arms destined to assistance or rehabilitation. This objective will include the subsequent development of novel articulated medical devices. The short-term objective within this research program is to develop a novel modeling and simulation tool to design next-generation portable exoskeletons. This objective will include the development of two new real prototypes that will be technological World firsts: 1. a first motorized portable upper limbs exoskeleton, which still does not exist; 2. a first lower limb exoskeleton able to follow the evolution of muscle force degeneration. This research will directly benefit from our exceptional research environment: our system quantifying the joint and muscle efforts in real-time, which are key to control the next-generation exoskeletons; our Technopole in pediatric rehabilitation equipped with high-end 3D printers to prototype exoskeletons, and giving access to trials; our Canadian industrial and clinical partners, and our international collaborators for access to tools such as the symbolic multibody dynamic modeling software. This research program will bring new published knowledge and skills in various engineering areas: multibody dynamic modeling, biomechanics, motion analysis, prototyping and control of exoskeletons. It will support the training of HQPs to become the next generation of innovators in these exciting areas and will contribute to accelerate the exoskeleton market growth.