Publications by authors named "Katherine Poggensee"

Article Synopsis
  • Robots that closely interact with people, like exoskeletons and medical devices, are set to improve our lives significantly, but their design is challenging due to human complexity and unpredictable responses.
  • A new strategy called human-in-the-loop optimization helps overcome these challenges by tailoring device features to enhance user performance based on specific needs and contexts.
  • This approach not only improves human-robot collaboration in research but also presents opportunities for developing new optimization techniques, ultimately aiming to create devices that better the human experience.
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Article Synopsis
  • * This side-pushing method creates challenges requiring continuous effort to maintain direction; thus, modifications to the front castor wheel were studied to alleviate this.
  • * Experimental results confirm that altering castor wheel dimensions can allow for side-pushing without extra force, and the findings could influence various wheeled applications beyond just wheelchairs.
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Exoskeletons that assist in ankle plantarflexion can improve energy economy in locomotion. Characterizing the joint-level mechanisms behind these reductions in energy cost can lead to a better understanding of how people interact with these devices, as well as to improved device design and training protocols. We examined the biomechanical responses to exoskeleton assistance in exoskeleton users trained with a lengthened protocol.

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Falling is a major cause of morbidity, and is often caused by a decrease in postural stability. A key component of postural stability is whole-body centroidal angular momentum, which can be influenced by control moment gyroscopes. In this proof-of-concept study, we explore the influence of our wearable robotic gyroscopic actuator "GyroPack" on the balance performance and gait characteristics of non-impaired individuals (seven female/eight male, 30 ± 7 years, 68.

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Trunk motor control is essential for the proper functioning of the upper extremities and is an important predictor of gait capacity in children with delayed development. Early diagnosis and intervention could increase the trunk motor capabilities in later life, but current tools used to assess the level of trunk motor control are largely subjective and many lack the sensitivity to accurately monitor development and the effects of therapy. Inertial measurement units could yield an objective quantitative assessment that is inexpensive and easy-to-implement.

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Article Synopsis
  • Our nervous systems adapt to changes in body movements and tasks by learning optimal control strategies, like adjusting walking patterns.
  • Researchers examined how participants learned to optimize their walking in various contexts using exoskeletons that assist ankle movement.
  • They found that initial variability in movement increased with exposure to new situations but decreased with practice, leading to changes that helped reduce energy costs during walking.
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Exoskeletons can enhance human mobility, but we still know little about why they are effective. For example, we do not know the relative importance of training, how much is required, or what type is most effective; how people adapt with the device; or the relative benefits of customizing assistance. We conducted experiments in which naïve users learned to walk with ankle exoskeletons under one of three training regimens characterized by different levels of variation in device behavior.

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Exoskeletons and active prostheses promise to enhance human mobility, but few have succeeded. Optimizing device characteristics on the basis of measured human performance could lead to improved designs. We have developed a method for identifying the exoskeleton assistance that minimizes human energy cost during walking.

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When humans walk in everyday life, they typically perform a range of cognitive tasks while they are on the move. Past studies examining performance changes in dual cognitive-motor tasks during walking have produced a variety of results. These discrepancies may be related to the type of cognitive task chosen, differences in the walking speeds studied, or lack of controlling for walking speed.

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