Biomechanical Modeling of Semicircular Canals for Fabricating a Biomimetic Vestibular System

Ciaravella, G.; Laschi, Cecilia; Dario, P.

doi:10.1109/iembs.2006.260248

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The platform's motion was oscillating around the horizontal orientation with the magnitudes significantly smaller than the magnitudes of the base motion with respect to the platform. The base link was moved with the magnitudes of [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50] • with respect to the platform's orientation. Liquid inside the inclinometer followed the motion of the base link and the platform and the tilt measurements from the inclinometer reached up to 20…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The design approaches described in [191] and [152] are similar to the one used in classical sensor engineering, when a set of individual inertial sensors are integrated together in a single imu. An attempt to realize a biomimetic angular rate sensor was presented in [41]. A biomechanical model of the semicircular canals of the human vestibular system was proposed and a first prototype was realized.…”

Section: Application In Humanoid Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling Verticality Estimation During Locomotion

Farkhatdinov

Michalska

Berthoz

et al. 2013

Romansy 19 – Robot Design, Dynamics and Control

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In this thesis, a nonlinear model of the vestibular system is proposed, with special reference to humans and other locomoting animals. The vestibular system is essential for stable locomotion since it provides idiothetic measurements of spatial orientation that are needed for postural control. The model was constructed from general considerations regarding the Newton-Euler dynamics governing the three-dimensional movements of bodies constrained to oscillate in non-inertial frames, such as the otoliths, which were modeled as spherical damped pendula. Two configurations were considered. The medial model considered only one inner ear located in the center of a head. The lateral model considered two inner ears located laterally with respect to the center of rotation of the head. The differences between these two models were analyzed and the importance of having two vestibular organs discussed. To this end, a nonlinear algebraic observability test was used to verify whether the reconstruction of the head orientation with respect to the gravitational vertical was possible from otoliths measurements only. It could be shown that in order for the head vertical orientation to be observable, the head had to be stabilized during locomotion. Moreover, it was shown that the gravitoinertial ambiguity inherent to inertial idiothetic sensing could be resolved if the head was horizontally stabilized. These results were applied to solve the head vertical orientation estimation problem in the linearized case (Luenberger observer, Kalman filter) as well as in the nonlinear case (Extended Kalman filter, Newton method based observation). These observers were designed and tested in simulations. The simulations indicated that the estimation errors were smaller and the observers converged faster when head was stabilized during locomotion, leading to a nonlinear, combined observation-control system that could be stabilized with respect to the gravitational vertical based on no other information than the prior knowledge of the Newton-Euler dynamics. The results were further tested with a specifically designed experimental setup that comprised an actuated gimbal mechanism to represent the head-neck articulation and a liquid-based inclinometer that represented the otoliths organs. The findings derived from this research would be helpful for analyzing spatial perception in humans and animals, and for improving the perceptual capabilities of robotic systems, such as humanoid robots, rough terrain vehicles, or free-moving drones.Keywords: vestibular system, head-neck system, nonlinear system, observation, estimation, verticality, spatial perception, locomotion, humanoid robot. 3 RésuméDans cette thèse, nous proposons un modèle non-linéaire du système vestibulaire, en particulier chez l'humain et autres animaux mobiles. Le système vestibulaire est essentiel pour une locomotion stable dans la mesure où il fournit des mesures idiothétiques d'orientation spatiale nécessairesà la stabilité posturale. Le développement du modèle est basé sur l...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Application In Humanoid Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Verticality Estimation During Locomotion

Farkhatdinov

Michalska

Berthoz

et al. 2013

Romansy 19 – Robot Design, Dynamics and Control

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show abstract

“…Design approaches described in [142] and [109] are similar to the one used in classical sensor engineering when a set of individual inertial sensors were integrated together in a single IMU. An attempt to realise a biomimetic angular rate sensor based on the biomechanical model of the semicircular canals was presented in [32]. However, no further experimental results were presented.…”

Section: Towards a Robotic Vestibular Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Anthropomorphic Head Stabilisation and Verticality Estimation in Robots

Farkhatdinov

Michalska

Berthoz

et al. 2018

Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics

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In many walking, running, flying, and swimming animals, including mammals, reptiles, and birds, the vestibular system plays a central role for verticality estimation and is often associated with a head stabilisation (in rotation) behaviour. Head stabilisation, in turn, subserves gaze stabilisation, postural control, visual-vestibular information fusion and spatial awareness via the active establishment of a quasi-inertial frame of reference. Head stabilisation helps animals to cope with the computational consequences of angular movements that complicate the reliable estimation of the vertical direction. We suggest that this strategy could also benefit free-moving robotic systems, such as locomoting humanoid robots, which are typically equipped with inertial measurements units. Free-moving robotic systems could gain the full benefits of inertial measurements if the measurement units are placed on independently orientable platforms, such as a human-like heads. We illustrate these benefits by analysing recent humanoid robots design and control approaches.

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“…Research in developing artificial vestibular prostheses has also gained much momentum, including several groups implementing the semicircular canal dynamics in different ways. For instance, Ciavella et al [4] have developed a bio-mechanical model of the vestibular system to support related prosthesis research. Shkel et al [5] have implemented a discrete semicircular canal processor whereas Gong et al [6] and Santina et al [7] have chosen to implement a microcontroller based processor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A fully-integrated semicircular canal processor for an implantable vestibular prosthesis

Constandinou

Georgiou

Toumazou

2008

2008 15th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems

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This paper presents a fully-integrated semicircular canal processor for an implantable vestibular prosthesis. The system includes the entire processing chain required from the microsensor interface, through the required biomimetic transfer characteristics, to a current-mode signal, suitable for feeding the stimulator. Using a switched-capacitor implementation, the circuit is inherently tunable, whilst maintaining low power operation and overcoming the need for off-chip components. The entire system core occupies an area of 0.23mm 2 in a commercially available 0.35µm CMOS technology.

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Biomechanical Modeling of Semicircular Canals for Fabricating a Biomimetic Vestibular System

Cited by 8 publications

References 13 publications

Modeling Verticality Estimation During Locomotion

Modeling Verticality Estimation During Locomotion

Review of Anthropomorphic Head Stabilisation and Verticality Estimation in Robots

A fully-integrated semicircular canal processor for an implantable vestibular prosthesis

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