Design and Characterization of an Exoskeleton for Perturbing the Knee During Gait

Tucker, Michael R.; Shirota, Camila; Lambercy, Olivier; Sulzer, James; Gassert, Roger

doi:10.1109/tbme.2017.2656130

Cited by 46 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The ETH Knee Perturbator can compensate gait deviations, which may improve the rehabilitative outcomes of assistive devices. 31 Aluminum 6061 has been used for the development of a robotic gait exoskeleton. 32 With the advances in 3D printing technology, polymeric composites have increasingly been utilized for the development of exoskeleton robots.…”

Section: Manufacturing Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exoskeleton robots for lower limb assistance: A review of materials, actuation, and manufacturing methods

Hussain

Goecke

Mohammadian

2021

Proc Inst Mech Eng H

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The field of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation and robotics technology for providing support to the elderly population is rapidly evolving. Lower limb robot aided rehabilitation and assistive technology have been a focus for the engineering community during the last three decades as several robotic lower limb exoskeletons have been proposed in the literature as well as some being commercially available. Numerous manufacturing techniques and materials have been developed for lower limb exoskeletons during the last two decades, resulting in the design of a variety of robot exoskeletons for gait assistance for elderly and disabled people. One of the most important aspects of developing exoskeletons is the selection of the most appropriate proper material. The material selection strongly influences the overall weight and performance of the exoskeleton robot. The most suitable fabrication method for material is also an important parameter for the development of lower limb robot exoskeletons. In addition to the materials and manufacturing methods, the actuation method plays a vital role in the development of these robot exoskeletons. Even though various materials, manufacturing methods and actuators are reported in the literature for these lower limb robot exoskeletons, there are still avenues of improvement in these three domains. In this review, we have examined various lower limb robotic exoskeletons, concentrating on the three main aspects of material, manufacturing, and actuation. We have focused on the advantages and drawbacks of various materials and manufacturing practices as well as actuation methods. A discussion on future directions of research is provided for the engineering community covering the material, manufacturing and actuation methods.

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Section: Manufacturing Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exoskeleton robots for lower limb assistance: A review of materials, actuation, and manufacturing methods

Hussain

Goecke

Mohammadian

2021

Proc Inst Mech Eng H

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“…An exoskeleton is a wearable robot attached to the wearer's limbs to replace or enhance their movements. The majority of these exoskeletons are fastened directly to the user's body and work together 'in seamless integration with the user's residual musculoskeletal system and sensory-motor control loops' to assist him/her with minimal cognitive disruption and required compensatory motion' (Tucker et al 2017) (Fig. 2).…”

Section: Regaining the Ability To Walkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Oh, Dignity too?” Said the Robot: Human Dignity as the Basis for the Governance of Robotics

Zardiashvili

Fosch‐Villaronga

2020

Minds & Machines

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Healthcare robots enable practices that seemed far-fetched in the past. Robots might be the solution to bridge the loneliness that the elderly often experience; they may help wheelchair users walk again, or may help navigate the blind. European Institutions, however, acknowledge that human contact is an essential aspect of personal care and that the insertion of robots could dehumanize caring practices. Such instances of human-robot interactions raise the question to what extent the use and development of robots for healthcare applications can challenge the dignity of users. In this article, therefore, we explore how different robot applications in the healthcare domain support individuals in achieving 'dignity' or pressure it. We argue that since healthcare robot applications are novel, their associated risks and impacts may be unprecedented and unknown, thus triggering the need for a conceptual instrument that is binding and remains flexible at the same time. In this respect, as safety rules and data protection are often criticized to lack flexibility, and technology ethics to lack enforceability, we suggest human dignity as the overarching governance instrument for robotics, which is the inviolable value upon which all fundamental rights are grounded.

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“…The ETH Knee Perturbator [5] was used to lock the right knee for 200 ms at 6 points in swing phase (10%, 22% 34%, 46%, 58% and 70%). Perturbations were repeated 15 times each, applied in random order, and with at least 30 s between perturbations to avoid anticipation.…”

Section: A Experimental Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maintaining Gait Balance After Perturbations to the Leg: Kinematic and Electromyographic Patterns

Croci

Gassert

Shirota

2018

Biosystems &Amp; Biorobotics

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Maintaining balance following gait perturbations is difficult and still not well addressed in gait assistive devices. A challenge is in identifying perturbations, and whether and which responses are required to reestablish balance and walking. Here, we investigate the timing of changes in the kinematic and muscle activation patterns of unimpaired subjects to external perturbations. We used the ETH Knee Perturbator to lock the knee at different points of swing phase, and identified changes in the gait pattern with Statistical Parametric Mapping, adjusted for data containing perturbations. We show that kinematic patterns differ within approximately 100 ms of the perturbation, and that muscle activity changes later, much closer to foot-strike. Our results suggest that mechanical (joint angles and velocities) sensors are best suited to identify external perturbations, devices should change their behavior in response to such perturbations, and responses may not need to be initiated immediately following the perturbation.

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Design and Characterization of an Exoskeleton for Perturbing the Knee During Gait

Abstract: Tools such as this can enhance models of neuromuscular control, which may improve rehabilitative outcomes following impairments affecting gait and advance the design and control of assistive devices.

Cited by 46 publications

References 45 publications

Exoskeleton robots for lower limb assistance: A review of materials, actuation, and manufacturing methods

Exoskeleton robots for lower limb assistance: A review of materials, actuation, and manufacturing methods

“Oh, Dignity too?” Said the Robot: Human Dignity as the Basis for the Governance of Robotics

Maintaining Gait Balance After Perturbations to the Leg: Kinematic and Electromyographic Patterns

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