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Session: Body - implant interfacing
Session starts: Friday 25 January, 13:00
Presentation starts: 14:00
Room: Lecture room 559

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Lorenzo Masia (University of Twente)
Michele Xiloyannis (Nanyang Technological University)

Abstract:
The use of fabric-based frames and tendon driven actuation to deliver forces and torques to the human body provides a new design which actively assist motion and which is characterized by lighter, more comfortable and cosmetically less invasive architectures than traditional rigid exoskeletons. This approach has shown to be successful in reducing the metabolic cost and muscular effort of human movements and in assisting impaired subject in daily activities. Yet still very little is known about how to design and optimise the transmission of forces at the interface between the suit and the human body, with significant implications for comfort, efficiency and safety of the device. Our research aims to outline the design and characterisation of a soft, textile-based exosuit for assistance of flexion/extension of the elbow joint and of the hand, with emphasis on a data-driven design for optimising the efficiency of the transmission and the distribution of forces at the interface between the wearer and the exosuit. Quantifying and understanding how design choices such as the materials used for transmitting power and the structure of the functional components of the suit affect these parameters can help us to improve the ergonomics, safety and effectiveness of such devices. Results obtained by comparing different transmissions constructions show that the ones with a linear-strand construction offer the highest efficiency and stiffness, lowest backlash and lowest viscous friction. Combining semi-rigid components with fabric at the anchor points of the suit allows for a more homogeneous distribution of force at the human-suit interface, avoiding peaks of pressure that can disrupt subcutaneous blood flow and cause tissue damage. We also would like to propose a novel hierarchical control architecture which use embedded sensors and a simple model of the arm's biomechanics to increase the transparency of the device, provide robustness and fidelity of haptic rendering.