When developing robotic exoskeletons, the design of physical connections between device and human limb to which it is connected a crucial problem. Indeed, using an embedment at each connection point leads uncontrollable forces interaction port, induced by hyperstaticity. In practice, these may be large because in general kinematics exoskeleton differ. To cope with hyperstaticity, literature suggests addition passive mechanisms inside mechanism loops. However, empirical solutions that are...

While motor interaction between a robot and human, or humans, has important implications for society as well promising applications, little research been devoted to its investigation. In particular, it is understand the different ways two agents can interact generate suitable interactive behaviors. Towards this end, paper introduces framework description implementation of behaviors performing joint task. A taxonomy introduced, which classify tasks cost functions that represent way each agent...

Humans can skilfully use tools and interact with the environment by adapting their movement trajectory, contact force, impedance. Motivated human versatility, we develop here a robot controller that concurrently adapts feedforward impedance, reference trajectory when interacting an unknown environment. In particular, robot's is adapted to limit interaction force maintain it at desired level, while impedance adaptation compensates for An analysis of dynamics using Lyapunov theory yields...

This paper summarizes findings on the growing field of role assignment policies for human–robot motor interaction. topic has been investigated by researchers in psychological theory joint action, human intention detection, force control, human–human physical interaction, as well roboticists interested developing robots with capabilities efficient interaction humans. Our goal is to promote fruitful between these distinct communities by: ( i) examining action experimental psychology and...

Decoding finger and hand movements from sEMG electrodes placed on the forearm of transradial amputees has been commonly studied by many research groups. A few recent studies have shown an interesting phenomenon: simple correlations between distal phantom finger, wrist voluntary muscle activity in residual upper arm transhumeral amputees, i.e., groups that, prior to amputation, had no physical effect concerned joints. In this study, we are going further into exploration phenomenon setting up...

Most transhumeral amputees report that their prosthetic device lacks functionality, citing the control strategy as a major limitation. Indeed, they are required to several degrees of freedom with muscle groups primarily used for elbow actuation. As result, most them choose have one-degree-of-freedom myoelectric hand grasping objects, wrist pronation/supination, and body-powered elbow. Unlike healthy upper limb movements, joint, adjusted prior motion, is not involved in overall causing rest...

While a large number of robotic exoskeletons have been designed by research teams for rehabilitation, it remains rather difficult to analyse their ability finely interact with human limb: no performance indicators or general methodology characterize this capacity really exist. This is particularly regretful at time when robotics are becoming recognized rehabilitation method and complex problems such as 3-D movement joint rotation coordination being addressed. The aim paper propose evaluate,...

A major issue in the field of human-robot interaction for assistance to manipulation is transparency. This basic feature qualifies capacity a robot follow human movements without any human-perceptible resistive forces. In this paper we address motion prediction order increase transparency robotic manipulator. Our aim not predict itself, but study how can be used improve For purpose, have designed setup performing planar tasks involving that are demanded subject and thus easily predictable....

Hand synergies have been extensively studied over the last few decades. Objectives of such research are numerous. In neuroscience, aim is to improve understanding motor control and its ability reduce dimensionality. applied fields like robotics build biomimetic hand structures, or in prosthetics design more performant underactuated replacement hands. Nevertheless, most synergy schemes identified this day obtained from grasping experiments performed with one single (generally dominant)...

Most transhumeral amputated individuals deplore the lack of functionality their prosthesis due to control-related limitations. Commercialized prosthetic elbows are controlled via myoelectric signals, yielding complex control schemes when users have an entire limb. Limited causes development compensatory strategies. An alternative strategy associates residual limb motions automatize elbow motion using a model physiological shoulder/elbow synergies. Preliminary studies shown that could be...

This article presents a versatile controller that enables various contact tooling tasks with minimal prior knowledge of the tooled surface. The is derived from results neuroscience studies investigated neural mechanisms utilized by humans to control and learn complex interactions environment. We demonstrate here versatility this in simulations cutting, drilling surface exploration tasks, which would normally require different paradigms. also present on an unknown 7-DOF manipulator, where...

Amputated patients are hardly satisfied with upper limb prostheses, and tend to favour the use of their contralateral arm partially compensate disability. This may seem surprising in light recent evidences that external objects (rubber hand or tool) can easily be embodied, namely incorporated body representation. We investigated both implicit representations (by evaluating peripersonal space using a reachability judgement task) quality bodily integration patient's prosthesis (assessed via...

In the field of upper limb prosthetics, incorporation sensory feedback is critical to cognitive processes and behavior. Studies have demonstrated that haptic improves amputees' control over their prostheses. This study presents development MuViSS (Multi Vibrotactile-Skin Stretch) device, which worn on wrist forearm provides sensory-motor from a robotic prosthetic hand. An innovative strategy presented has not been explored in existing literature. By combining two already established...

The possibility to modify the usually pathological patterns of coordination upper-limb in stroke survivors remains a central issue and an open question for neurorehabilitation. Despite robot-led physical training could potentially improve motor recovery hemiparetic patients, most state-of-the-art studies addressing control learning, with artificial virtual force fields, only focused on end-effector kinematic adaptation, by using planar devices. Clearly, interesting aspect studying 3D...

Moving smoothly is generally considered as a higher-order goal of motor control and moving jerkily witness clumsiness or pathology, yet many common well-controlled movements (e.g., tracking movements) have irregular velocity profiles with widespread fluctuations. The origin nature these fluctuations been associated the operation an intermittent process but in fact remain poorly understood. Here we studied during slow movements, using combined experimental theoretical tools. We recorded arm...

Controlling several joints simultaneously is a common feature of natural arm movements. Robotic prostheses shall offer this possibility to their wearer. Yet, existing approaches control robotic upper-limb prosthesis from myoelectric interfaces do not satisfactorily respond need: standard methods provide sequential joint-by-joint motion only; advanced pattern recognition-based allow the limited subset synchronized multi-joint movements and remain complex set up. In paper, we exploit method an...

Objective: Limitations with manual dexterity are an important problem for patients suffering from hemiparesis post stroke. Sensorimotor deficits, compensatory strategies and the use of alternative grasping configurations may influence efficiency prehensile motor behavior. The aim present study is to examine how different grasp affect patient ability regulate both grip forces object orientation when lifting, holding placing object. Methods: Twelve stroke mild moderate were recruited. Each was...

We present a new device aimed at being used for upper limb rehabilitation. Our main focus was to design robot capable of working in both the passive mode (i.e. shall be strong enough generate human-like movements while guiding weak arm patient) and active able following without disturbing human natural motion). This greatly challenges design, since system reversible lightweight providing compatible strength, workspace speed. The solution takes form an orthotic structure, which allows control...

Commercialized upper limb prostheses do not match the expectations of amputated people, especially transhumeral amputees. Most them report a lack functionality, mostly explained by counter-intuitive control strategy. This paper presents first implementation an automatic prosthesis approach based on natural coordinations between joints and IMU-based humeral orientation measurement. Two healthy individuals were able to use prosthetic forearm attached their arm point at targets in 3D workspace...

This paper validates a novel instrumented object, the iBox, dedicated to analysis of grasping and manipulation. box can be grasped manipulated, is fitted with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sense force applied on each side transmits measured force, acceleration orientation data wirelessly in real time. The iBox also provides simple access for analysing human motor control features such as coordination between lifting forces complex manipulation patterns. A set experiments was conducted 6...

Neurorehabilitation efficiency increases with therapy intensity and subject's involvement during physical exercises. Robotic exoskeletons could bring both features, if they adapt the level of assistance to patient's motor capacities. To this aim, we developed an exoskeleton controller, based on adaptive techniques, that can actively modulate stiffness robotic device in function activity. We tested control law one healthy subject upper-limb exoskeleton. The experiment consisted learning a...

The control of an active prosthetic elbow is problematic for most transhumeral amputees and a functional solution providing intuitive over multi-joint upper limbs yet to be found. method in this paper uses IMU-based arm kinematics predict the motion based on limb joint coordinations during pointing movements. A RBFN-based regression was performed model shoulder/elbow coordination. prediction results indicate that such approach ready implemented current prostheses equipped with embedded...