Design of a Wheelchair Robot for Active Postural Support

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemarie C. Murray ◽  
Chawin Ophaswongse ◽  
Sunil K. Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Sagittal Plane ◽  
Control Architecture ◽  
Lateral Bending ◽  
Robotic Exoskeleton ◽  
Postural Support ◽  
And Control

This paper describes the design and control architecture of a novel wheelchair-mounted robot for active postural support (WRAPS). The WRAPS is a robotic exoskeleton that allows limited degrees-of-freedom of the trunk relative to the pelvis. There are three degrees-of-freedoms in the sagittal plane of the human body and one in lateral bending. The work is motivated by the needs of individuals with impaired trunk motor control, who currently rely on the use of passive and predominantly static supports to maintain a static posture. These devices can be overly restrictive and inhibit the user in their activities of daily living. The WRAPS is capable of supporting a human user within their active range of torso motion. It has the potential to assist users in their activities of daily living while encouraging a dynamic range of healthy postures.

Design of a Wheelchair Robot for Active Postural Support

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemarie C. Murray ◽  
Chawin Ophaswongse ◽  
Sunil K. Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Sagittal Plane ◽  
Control Architecture ◽  
Lateral Bending ◽  
Robotic Exoskeleton ◽  
Postural Support ◽  
And Control

This paper describes the design and control architecture of a novel Wheelchair-mounted Robot for Active Postural Support (WRAPS). The WRAPS is a robotic exoskeleton that allows limited degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) of the trunk relative to the pelvis. There are three DOFs in the sagittal plane of the human body and one in lateral bending. The work is motivated by the needs of individuals with impaired trunk motor control, who currently rely on the use of passive and predominantly static supports to maintain a static posture. These devices can be overly restrictive and inhibit the user in their activities of daily living (ADLs). The WRAPS is capable of supporting a human user within their active range of torso motion. It has the potential to assist users in their ADLs while encouraging a dynamic range of healthy postures.

INTERSEGMENTAL COORDINATION IN LOWER EXTREMITIES AND MULTI-SEGMENTAL SPINE DURING DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (07) ◽  
pp. 1740015
Author(s):  
DAIQI GUO ◽  
SHENGZHENG KUAI ◽  
WENYU ZHOU ◽  
XINYU GUAN ◽  
ZHENHUA LIAO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Sagittal Plane ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Stair Climbing ◽  
Motion Pattern ◽  
Level Walking ◽  
Lower Lumbar

Background: Human movement consists of numerous degrees of freedom (DOF). How the nervous system (NS) computes the appropriate command to coordinate these DOFs to finish specific tasks is still hotly debated. One common way to simplify the redundant DOFs is to coordinate multiple DOFs by combining them into units or synergies. The present study aimed to investigate the kinematic complexity of five activities of daily living (ADLs) and to detect the amount of kinematic synergy during every ADL and the relationship of the motion pattern between these ADLs. Method: Twenty-six able-bodied male individuals performed level walking, stair climbing, trunk bending, ipsilateral pick-up and contralateral pick-up in sequence. The segmental excursion of the thorax, upper lumbar, lower lumbar, pelvis, thigh and shank was calculated. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to determine the motion pattern of every ADL. Result: In the sagittal plane, trunk bending, ipsilateral pick-up and contralateral pick-up could be simplified by using one principal component (PC) with more than 95% variance accounted for (VAF). In addition, the motion pattern of every PC was similar among the three ADLs. Moreover, the angles between the vectors representing the first PC of the three ADLs were all less than 10[Formula: see text]. Level walking and stair climbing needed at least two PCs to reach 95% VAF. In addition, the motion pattern was different between the two ADLs. Moreover, the angle between the first PC of the two ADLs was around 90[Formula: see text]. In the coronal plane, the five ADLs except contralateral pick-up arrived at 90% VAF with two PCs. The motion pattern and the angle between the first PC both demonstrated larger differences among the five ADLs. Conclusion: Two PCs were essential to represent level walking and stair climbing, indicating a complex control strategy used by the NS. Trunk bending, ipsilateral pick-up and contralateral pick-up could be described with one PC in the sagittal plane, showing a strong coupling and simple motion pattern. In addition, the motion pattern varied considerably among these ADLs. The outcomes of this study can help clinicians to select suitable ADLs for the patients with various joint or disc diseases and to conduct corresponding functional test and rehabilitation.

scholarly journals A Modular Mobile Robotic Platform to Assist People with Different Degrees of Disability

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 7130
Author(s):  
Jose M. Catalan ◽  
Andrea Blanco ◽  
Arturo Bertomeu-Motos ◽  
Jose V. Garcia-Perez ◽  
Miguel Almonacid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Robotic Exoskeleton ◽  
Simulated Home Environment ◽  
Wheel Chair ◽  
The Subject

Robotics to support elderly people in living independently and to assist disabled people in carrying out the activities of daily living independently have demonstrated good results. Basically, there are two approaches: one of them is based on mobile robot assistants, such as Care-O-bot, PR2, and Tiago, among others; the other one is the use of an external robotic arm or a robotic exoskeleton fixed or mounted on a wheelchair. In this paper, a modular mobile robotic platform to assist moderately and severely impaired people based on an upper limb robotic exoskeleton mounted on a robotized wheel chair is presented. This mobile robotic platform can be customized for each user’s needs by exploiting its modularity. Finally, experimental results in a simulated home environment with a living room and a kitchen area, in order to simulate the interaction of the user with different elements of a home, are presented. In this experiment, a subject suffering from multiple sclerosis performed different activities of daily living (ADLs) using the platform in front of a group of clinicians composed of nurses, doctors, and occupational therapists. After that, the subject and the clinicians replied to a usability questionnaire. The results were quite good, but two key factors arose that need to be improved: the complexity and the cumbersome aspect of the platform.

scholarly journals Preliminary design and control of a soft exosuit for assisting elbow movements and hand grasping in activities of daily living

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 205566831668031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Xiloyannis ◽  
Leonardo Cappello ◽  
Khanh D Binh ◽  
Chris W Antuvan ◽  
Lorenzo Masia
Keyword(s):  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
Neuromuscular Disorders ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Tracking Accuracy ◽  
Level Control ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Flexion Extension ◽  
And Control

The development of a portable assistive device to aid patients affected by neuromuscular disorders has been the ultimate goal of assistive robots since the late 1960s. Despite significant advances in recent decades, traditional rigid exoskeletons are constrained by limited portability, safety, ergonomics, autonomy and, most of all, cost. In this study, we present the design and control of a soft, textile-based exosuit for assisting elbow flexion/extension and hand open/close. We describe a model-based design, characterisation and testing of two independent actuator modules for the elbow and hand, respectively. Both actuators drive a set of artificial tendons, routed through the exosuit along specific load paths, that apply torques to the human joints by means of anchor points. Key features in our design are under-actuation and the use of electromagnetic clutches to unload the motors during static posture. These two aspects, along with the use of 3D printed components and off-the-shelf fabric materials, contribute to cut down the power requirements, mass and overall cost of the system, making it a more likely candidate for daily use and enlarging its target population. Low-level control is accomplished by a computationally efficient machine learning algorithm that derives the system’s model from sensory data, ensuring high tracking accuracy despite the uncertainties deriving from its soft architecture. The resulting system is a low-profile, low-cost and wearable exosuit designed to intuitively assist the wearer in activities of daily living.

A pediatric robotic thumb exoskeleton for at-home rehabilitation

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Aubin ◽  
Kelsey Petersen ◽  
Hani Sallum ◽  
Conor Walsh ◽  
Annette Correia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Hand Function ◽  
Maximum Efficiency ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flexion Extension ◽  
Linear Force ◽  
At Home

Purpose – Pediatric disorders, such as cerebral palsy and stroke, can result in thumb-in-palm deformity greatly limiting hand function. This not only limits children's ability to perform activities of daily living but also limits important motor skill development. Specifically, the isolated orthosis for thumb actuation (IOTA) is 2 degrees of freedom (DOF) thumb exoskeleton that can actuate the carpometacarpal (CMC) and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints through ranges of motion required for activities of daily living. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – IOTA consists of a lightweight hand-mounted mechanism that can be secured and aligned to individual wearers. The mechanism is actuated via flexible cables that connect to a portable control box. Embedded encoders and bend sensors monitor the 2 DOF of the thumb and flexion/extension of the wrist. A linear force characterization was performed to test the mechanical efficiency of the cable-drive transmission and the output torque at the exoskeletal CMC and MCP joints was measured. Findings – Using this platform, a number of control modes can be implemented that will enable the device to be controlled by a patient to assist with opposition grasp and fine motor control. Linear force and torque studies showed a maximum efficiency of 44 percent, resulting in a torque of 2.39±1.06 in.-lbf and 0.69±0.31 in.-lbf at the CMC and MCP joints, respectively. Practical implications – The authors envision this at-home device augmenting the current in-clinic and at-home therapy, enabling telerehabilitation protocols. Originality/value – This paper presents the design and characterization of a novel device specifically designed for pediatric grasp telerehabilitation to facilitate improved functionality and somatosensory learning.

scholarly journals Predictors of Loss of Functional Independence in Parkinson’s Disease: Results from the COPPADIS Cohort at 2-Year Follow-Up and Comparison with a Control Group

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1801
Author(s):  
Diego Santos García ◽  
Teresa de Deus Fonticoba ◽  
Carlos Cores Bartolomé ◽  
Lucía Naya Ríos ◽  
Lucía García Roca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Lemeshow Test ◽  
Group A ◽  
And Control

Background and objective: The aim of this study was to compare the progression of independence in activities of daily living (ADL) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients versus a control group, as well as to identify predictors of disability progression and functional dependency (FD). Patients and Methods: PD patients and control subjects, who were recruited from 35 centers of Spain from the COPPADIS cohort between January 2016 and November 2017 (V0), were included. Patients and subjects were then evaluated again at the 2-year follow-up (V2). Disability was assessed with the Schwab & England Activities of Daily Living Scale (S&E-ADLS) at V0 and V2. FD was defined as an S&E-ADLS score less than 80%. Results: In the PD group, a significant decrease in the S&E-ADLS score from V0 to V2 (N = 507; from 88.58 ± 10.19 to 84.26 ± 13.38; p < 0.0001; Cohen’s effect size = −0.519) was observed but not in controls (N = 124; from 98.87 ± 6.52 to 99.52 ± 2.15; p = 0.238). When only patients considered functional independent at baseline were included, 55 out of 463 (11.9%) converted to functional dependent at V2. To be a female (OR = 2.908; p = 0.009), have longer disease duration (OR = 1.152; p = 0.002), have a non-tremoric motor phenotype at baseline (OR = 3.574; p = 0.004), have a higher score at baseline in FOGQ (OR = 1.244; p < 0.0001) and BDI-II (OR = 1.080; p = 0.008), have a lower score at baseline in PD-CRS (OR = 0.963; p = 0.008), and have a greater increase in the score from V0 to V2 in UPDRS-IV (OR = 1.168; p = 0.0.29), FOGQ (OR = 1.348; p < 0.0001) and VAFS-Mental (OR = 1.177; p = 0.013) (adjusted R-squared 0.52; Hosmer and Lemeshow test = 0.94) were all found to be independent predictors of FD at V2. Conclusions: In conclusion, autonomy for ADL worsens in PD patients compared to controls. Cognitive impairment, gait problems, fatigue, depressive symptoms, more advanced disease, and a non-tremor phenotype are independent predictors of FD in the short-term.

scholarly journals Chilean version of the INECO Frontal Screening (IFS-Ch): Psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefina Ihnen ◽  
Andrés Antivilo ◽  
Carlos Muñoz-Neira ◽  
Andrea Slachevsky
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
And Control

ABSTRACT Objective: This study sought to analyze the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the Chilean version of the INECO Frontal Screening (IFS-Ch) in a sample of dementia patients and control Methods: After adapting the instrument to the Chilean context and obtaining content validity evidence through expert consultation, the IFS-Ch was administered to 31 dementia patients and 30 control subjects together with other executive assessments (Frontal Assessment Battery [FAB], Modified version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test [MCST], phonemic verbal fluencies [letters A and P] and semantic verbal fluency [animals]) and global cognitive efficiency tests (Mini mental State Examination [MMSE] and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised [ACE-R]). Caregivers of dementia patients and proxies of control subjects were interviewed with instruments measuring dysexecutive symptoms (Dysexecutive Questionnaire [DEX]), dementia severity (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale [CDR]) and functional status in activities of daily living (Activities of Daily Living Scale [IADL] and Technology-Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire [T-ADLQ]). Convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, cut-off points, sensitivity and specificity for the IFS-Ch were estimated. Results: Evidence of content validity was obtained. Evidence of convergent validity was also found showing significant correlations (p<0.05) between the IFS-Ch and the other instruments measuring: executive functions (FAB, r=0.935; categories achieved in the MCST, r=0.791; perseverative errors in the MCST, r= -0.617; animal verbal fluency, r=0.728; A verbal fluency, r=0.681; and P verbal fluency, r=0.783), dysexecutive symptoms in daily living (DEX, r= -0.494), dementia severity (CDR, r= -0.75) and functional status in activities of daily living (T-ADLQ, r= -0.745; IADL, r=0.717). Regarding reliability, a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.905 was obtained. For diagnostic accuracy, a cut-off point of 18 points (sensitivity=0.903; specificity=0.867) and an area under curve of 0.951 were estimated to distinguish between patients with dementia and control subjects. Discussion: The IFS-Ch showed acceptable psychometric properties, supported by evidence of validity and reliability for its use in the measurement of executive functions in patients with dementia. The diagnostic accuracy of the IFS-Ch for detecting dementia patients was also considered acceptable.

scholarly journals Longitudinal association between housing accessibility and activities of daily living: the role of self-efficacy and control in people ageing with Parkinson’s disease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giedre Gefenaite ◽  
Jonas Björk ◽  
Susanne Iwarsson ◽  
Björn Slaug ◽  
Steven M. Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Control Beliefs ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background External housing-related control beliefs (HCB) and general self-efficacy (GSE) influence different health outcomes in the general ageing population, but there is no information of their role in people ageing with Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to longitudinally assess the role of external HCB and GSE on the association between housing accessibility and activities of daily living (ADL) among people ageing with PD.Methods Baseline and 3-year follow-up data on 130 community-living participants from the Swedish project ‘Home and Health in People Ageing with PD’ were collected. Assessments addressed housing accessibility, external HCB, GSE, generic ADL and ADL specific to PD. The moderating effects of external HCB and GSE were assessed by including an interaction term in multivariable logistic regression. Results There were statistically significant interactions between housing accessibility and GSE on ADL (p=0.03), and housing accessibility and external HCB on PD specific ADL (p=0.03). After stratifying the analyses by GSE, housing accessibility problems led to more dependence and difficulty in ADL in participants with low GSE (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.02-1.28). After stratifying by external HCB, housing accessibility increased dependence and difficulty in PD specific ADL in participants with low external HCB (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.03-1.76). Discussion The results suggest that housing accessibility predicts ADL in people with PD with GSE and external HCB playing a moderating role for generic ADL and ADL specific to PD, respectively. Further longitudinal studies should validate these findings and explore their potential application in PD-related care and rehabilitation.

scholarly journals Development of Underactuated Prosthetic Fingers with Joint Locking and Electromyographic Control

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart Peerdeman ◽  
Stefano Stramigioli ◽  
Edsko E. G. Hekman ◽  
Dannis M. Brouwer ◽  
Sarthak Misra
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Single Motor ◽  
Hand Prosthesis ◽  
And Control ◽  
Electromyographic Signals ◽  
Underactuated Finger

Modern hand prostheses possess a large number of degrees of freedom. These degrees of freedom cannot simply be actuated by a single motor each, since their combined size and weight would exceed the limitations of an anthropomorphic prosthesis. Some hand prostheses try to remedy this by way of underactuation of the fingers or addition of entirely passive fingers, but this reduces the hand's ability to execute different grasp types. We present a joint locking system, allowing certain degrees of freedom to be fixed during actuation of an underactuated finger. These locks are actuated by miniature solenoids, and allow the fingers to support a variety of grasp types. In this paper, these locks are implemented in a two-fingered prosthesis prototype, which is able to perform several grasping motions important for prosthesis users. This prototype is controlled by pre-recorded electromyographic signals, which control different grasp types and their opening/closing. Various grasping experiments show that the prototype is able to execute three essential grasp types for daily living with a single main actuator, and can be intuitively controlled by means of six different electromyographic signals. This prototype demonstrates new joint locking mechanisms and control systems that can provide an anthropomorphic, myoelectric hand prosthesis with minimal actuation and intuitive control.

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