Biomechanical Energy Harvesting: Optimization, Control and Biomechanics

便携式电子设备和可穿戴设备的普及以及我们对它们的依赖受到持续电源可用性的限制。目前，这些设备几乎完全由电池供电。电池的重量和有限的能量限制了操作的持续时间和系统性能。这对于军事、救灾工作者、野外科学家和其他成功依赖便携式电子设备的行动来说尤其是一个问题。生物机械能量采集器（BMEH）在日常活动（步行或跑步）中从人体运动中产生电力，成为为便携式电子产品供电的电池的可行替代品。 理想的BMEH应该产生大量的电力，而不会干扰用户的正常活动。 将生物力学的理解与BMEH优化相结合是实现这一目标的关键。 这种设计方法已被证明是有效的可穿戴外骨骼开发。适当设计和控制的外骨骼已被证明有助于使用者减少行走的代谢努力。然而，与外骨骼领域相比，基于生物力学的仿生微机械手的设计优化和智能控制还比较落后。 短期目标是开发BMEH设计优化和智能控制方法，同时了解能量收集对人类行走生物力学的影响。 BMEH的机械系统将通过选择适当的收割机参数（例如，齿轮比、发电机和输出电负载）。三种控制策略，开环控制，人在回路控制和可穿戴传感器控制，将被实施，以最大限度地提高发电量，同时最大限度地减少用户的努力。此外，还将进行一系列人体实验，以研究BMEH使用中的学习、适应、性别差异和步态稳定性。在5年的时间里，两名博士和三名硕士将接受生物力学系统设计，控制，生物力学测量，人体实验设计和数据分析的培训。 能量收集的研究具有广泛的影响，可以使许多应用领域受益。在72小时的使命中，士兵可以携带多达25磅的电池。减轻负载和提供创新的电源解决方案将增加士兵的自主性，减少士兵的身体和认知负担。BMEH可能是一个重量轻，成本低，可靠的电力解决方案，为美军士兵。 能量收集技术的进步将为其他需要可靠持续电力的应用创造价值，例如动力假肢和用于健康应用的可穿戴传感器。所获得的知识也有利于辅助设备和外骨骼在能量优化和电源管理方面的开发。这些能源收集技术的商业化将直接有利于加拿大经济。

The ubiquity of portable electronics and wearable devices, and our reliance on them, are constrained by the availability of continual power source. Currently, these devices are almost exclusively powered with batteries. The weight and limited energy in batteries limits the duration of operation and system performance. This is particularly an issue for military, disaster relief workers, field scientists, and other operations in which their success relies on portable electronics. Biomechanical energy harvesters (BMEHs) that generate electricity from human movement during daily activities (walking or running), become a viable alternative to batteries for powering portable electronics. An ideal BMEHs should generate a large amount of electricity without disturbing the user's normal activity. Integrating the understanding of biomechanics with BMEH optimization is the key to achieve this goal. This design methodology has been proven to be effective in wearable exoskeletons development. Properly designed and controlled exoskeletons have been shown to assist the users in decreasing the metabolic effort of walking. However, the design optimization and intelligent control of BMEHs grounded on biomechanics is lacking behind when compared with the exoskeleton field. The short-term objective is to develop BMEH design optimization, and intelligent control methodology in parallel to the understanding of the effects of energy harvesting on human walking biomechanics. Mechanical system of BMEHs will be optimized through selection of proper harvester parameters (e.g., gear ratio, generator, and output electrical load). Three control strategies, open-loop control, human-in-the-loop control, and control with wearable sensors, will be implemented to maximize the power production while minimizing user effort. In addition, a series of human experiments will be performed to study learning, adaptation, gender difference, and gait stability in BMEHs usage. Over a 5yr period, two PhDs and three MScs will be trained in biomechanical system design, control, biomechanics measurements, human experimentation design and data analysis. Research on energy harvesting has a broad impact and could benefit many fields of application. Soldiers may carry up to 25lbs of batteries during a 72-hour mission. Lightening the load and providing innovative power solutions will increase soldiers' autonomy, decrease physical and cognitive burden of a soldier. BMEHs could be a light weight, and low-cost reliable power solution for dismounted soldiers. The advance of energy harvesting technologies will create values for other applications that require reliable continual electricity such as powered prostheses, and wearable sensors for health applications. The knowledge gained also benefits the assistive device and exoskeleton development in energy optimization and power management. Commercialization of these energy harvesting technologies will directly benefit the Canadian economy.