Mechatronics

Sensory Feedback for Smart Prosthetics

Though mechanical aspects of upper-limb prosthesis technology is rapidly advancing, these devices lack a sense of touch required for dexterous manipulation and exploring environments. We aim to address this concern by developing non-invasive technology to provide missing touch sensations in prosthetic limbs via sensory substitution with modular add-on devices separate from the prosthesis.
 

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Sensory Feedback for Smart Prosthetics

Researchers aim for 'direct brain control' of prosthetic arms

Engineers work to design prosthetic arm that allows amputees to feel what they touch

http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=15983&SnID=1928...

Engineering researchers at four U.S. universities are embarking on a four-year project to design a prosthetic arm that amputees can control directly with their brains and that will allow them to feel what they touch. While it may sound like science fiction, the researchers say much of the technology has already been proven in small-scale demonstrations.

The research at Rice University, the University of Michigan, Drexel University and the University of Maryland is made possible by a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Human-Centered Computing program.

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AIMS Haptic Testbed

This project investigates human perception of haptic, or touch, cues. In the field of haptics, there is a need for a standardized method to characterize haptic cues and assess human perception of these cues. Most haptic devices are characterized using methods that are unique to the experiment, making direct comparisons across studies challenging.

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Open-Source Passive Instrumented Mannequins for Wearable Robots

Although soft robotic assistive gloves have high potential for restoring functional independence for individuals with motor impairment, their lack of rigid components makes it difficult to obtain accurate position sensing to validate their performance. To track soft device motion, standard practices rely on costly optical motion capture techniques, which have reduced accuracy due to limitations in marker occlusion and device deformation.

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Inactive

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Effects of Discretization on the K-Width of Series Elastic Actuators

Rigid haptic devices enable humans to physically interact with virtual environments, and the range of impedances that can be safely rendered using these rigid devices is quantified by the Z-Width metric. Series elastic actuators (SEAs) similarly modulate the impedance felt by the human operator when interacting with a robotic device, and, in particular, the robot's perceived stiffness can be controlled by changing the elastic element's equilibrium position.

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Inactive

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A Time Domain Approach to Control of Series Elastic Actuators: Adaptive Torque and Passivity-Based Impedance Control

Robots are increasingly designed to physically interact with humans in unstructured environments, and as such must operate both accurately and safely. Leveraging compliant actuation, typically in the form of series elastic actuators (SEAs), can guarantee this required level of safety. To date, a number of frequency domain techniques have been proposed which yield effective SEA torque and impedance control; however, these methods are accompanied by undesirable stability constraints.

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Inactive

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Development and Control of a 3DOF MRI-Compatible Haptic Device

Through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in conjunction with a haptic device, it is possible to study changes in brain activity while a patient undergoes rehabilitation-like protocols. By measuring changes in brain activity of a patient undergoing neurorehabilitation during fMRI, optimal patient-specific therapy regimens might be obtained. This research aims to develop, characterize, and control a parallel three degrees of freedom magnetic resonance (MR) compatible haptic device, called the MR-SoftWrist, which can measure and support wrist movements during fMRI.

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Inactive

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Design and Development of Exoskeletons for Hand-Wrist Rehabilitation

Robotic devices are excellent candidates for delivering repetitive and intensive practice that can restore functional use of the upper limbs, even years after a stroke. Rehabilitation of the wrist and hand in particular are critical for recovery of function, since hands are the primary interface with the world.  However, robotic devices that focus on hand rehabilitation are limited due to excessive cost, complexity, or limited functionality. A design and control strategy for such devices that bridges this gap is critical.

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Inactive

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