Biohybrid Robotic Hand to Investigate Tactile Encoding and Sensorimotor Integration.

For people who have experienced a spinal cord injury or an amputation, the recovery of sensation and motor control could be incomplete despite noteworthy advances with invasive neural interfaces. Our objective is to explore the feasibility of a novel biohybrid robotic hand model to investigate aspects of tactile sensation and sensorimotor integration with a pre-clinical research platform. Our new biohybrid model couples an artificial hand with biological neural networks (BNN) cultured in a multichannel microelectrode array (MEA).

Robotically Embodied Biological Neural Networks to Investigate Haptic Restoration with Neuroprosthetic Hands.

Neuroprosthetic limbs reconnect severed neural pathways for control of (and increasingly sensation from) an artificial limb. However, the plastic interaction between robotic and biological components is poorly understood. To gain such insight, we developed a novel noninvasive neuroprosthetic research platform that enables bidirectional electrical communications (action, sensory perception) between a dexterous artificial hand and neuronal cultures living in a multichannel microelectrode array (MEA) chamber.

Shape memory alloy tube actuators inherently enable internal fluidic cooling for a robotic finger under force control.

This paper presents the design, control and evaluation of a novel robotic finger actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) tubes which intrinsically afford an internal conduit for fluidic cooling. The SMA tubes are thennomechanically programmed to flex the robotic finger when Joule heated. A superelastic SMA plate provides a spring return motion to extend the finger when cooling liquid is pumped through the internal channel of the SMA tube actuators.

Force and Pressure Control of Soft Robotic Actuators.

Soft Robotic Actuators (SRAs) have piqued the interest of researchers in recent years. SRAs are generally constructed of soft elastomers and use air or water as a mean of actuation. Due to the inherent properties of these actuators, they are ideal for HumanRobot Interactions (HRI), exoskeletons for rehabilitation and for grasping delicate objects.

Robotic Finger Force Sensor Fabrication and Evaluation Through a Glove.

This force-feedback approach compares the effect on the sensing ability through a worn glove of the force application of an i-Limb Ultra robotic hand for several experimental scenarios. A Takktile sensor was integrated into a fabricated fingertip to measure the applied force of the i-Limb Ultra. A controller was then designed using MATLAB/Simulink to manipulate the finger motion of the i-Limb to apply force to an external load cell.