Peer-to-Peer Ultra-Wideband Localization for Hands-Free Control of a Human-Guided Smart Stroller.

We propose a hands-free control system for a human-guided smart stroller. The proposed method uses real-time peer-to-peer localization technology of the human and stroller to realize an intuitive hands-free control system based on the relative position between the human and the stroller. The control method is also based on functional and mechanical safety to ensure the safety of the stroller's occupant (child) and the pilot (parent) during locomotion.

Max Well-Being: a modular platform for the gamification of rehabilitation.

This study proposes a modular platform to improve the adoption of gamification in conventional physical rehabilitation programs. The effectiveness of rehabilitation is correlated to a patient's adherence to the program. This adherence can be diminished due to factors such as motivation, feedback, and isolation.

A Passive Three Degree of Freedom Transtibial Prosthesis With Adjustable Coronal Compliance and Independent Toe Joint.

The effects of including lateral compliance or a toe joint in transtibial prostheses have been studied independently, showing the potential to improve the gait biomechanics in terms of stability, walking speed, and metabolic cost. However, both of these features are not commonly found in commercial prostheses despite their importance in human gait. In this work, we present a multi-axis passive transtibial prosthesis with three degrees of freedom (DOF).

Teleoperated Probe Manipulator for Prone-Position Echocardiography Examination.

Echocardiography probe manipulation is a strenuous task. During a procedure, the operator must hold the probe, extend their arm, bend their elbow, and monitor the resulting image simultaneously, which causes strain and introduces variability to the measurement. We propose a teleoperated probe manipulation robot to reduce the burden of handling the probe and minimize the infection risk during the COVID pandemic.

Optimized Design of a Variable Viscosity Link for Robotic AFO.

Herein we present the development of a novel Ankle Foot Orthosis for gait support of people with foot-drop symptoms. The developed AFO uses an elastic link mechanism to brake the ankle joint during initial contact, thus mitigating foot-slap, and an integrated energy store-and-release mechanism to support toe lift in the swing phase, thus mitigating toe-drag. This paper presents improvements in the braking-holding power of the elastic link mechanism over its previous version, the torque-angle characteristics of the developed AFO with the renewed elastic link, and a pilot test with one person with foot-drop symptoms to verify the proposed functions of the developed AFO.

Design of a myoelectric 3D-printed prosthesis for a child with upper limb congenital amputation.

For an early intervention with children, a prosthetic hand that is affordable, light-weight, and easy to wear and use is vital. Commercial prosthetic hands for children are often too expensive, burdensome and difficult to use. In this research, we attempt to address these issues with a novel design for a prosthetic hand for children.

Wearable Kinesthetic I/O Device for Sharing Wrist Joint Stiffness.

In this paper, we developed a wearable kinesthetic I/O system, which is able to share wrist joint stiffness by measuring and intervening in four muscle activities on the forearm simultaneously through the same electrodes. This achieves interactive peg rehabilitation by sharing muscle activities among patients and therapists. Through the performance study, it was shown that 1) applied EMS and measured wrist joint stiffness, and 2) produced wrist joint stiffness and measured EMG value has a linear correlation, which allows designing a mapping function between the measured EMG value on one person and the EMS value applied to another person.

Feasibility of Synergy-Based Exoskeleton Robot Control in Hemiplegia.

Here, we present a study on exoskeleton robot control based on inter-limb locomotor synergies using a robot control method developed to target hemiparesis. The robot control is based on inter-limb locomotor synergies and kinesiological information from the non-paretic leg and a walking aid cane to generate motion patterns for the assisted leg. The developed synergy-based system was tested against an autonomous robot control system in five patients with hemiparesis and varying locomotor abilities.

Tarsusmeter: Development of a wearable device for ankle joint impedance estimation.

We present the development and basic evaluation of a new wearable device for estimation of ankle joint impedance called Tarsusmeter. The device is intended for application with persons with locomotion disabilities to quantify the ankle joint impedance, especially in cases of spasticity where the joint's impedance is expected to differ significantly from healthy persons. The lack of a simple and light weight solution to provide objective evaluation of ankle joint impedance motivates the design criteria of this device to be as such.

Wearable gait measurement system with an instrumented cane for exoskeleton control.

In this research we introduce a wearable sensory system for motion intention estimation and control of exoskeleton robot. The system comprises wearable inertial motion sensors and shoe-embedded force sensors. The system utilizes an instrumented cane as a part of the interface between the user and the robot.