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Existing work in physical robot caregiving is limited in its ability to provide long-term assistance. This is majorly due to (i) lack of well-defined problems, (ii) diversity of tasks, and (iii) limited access to stakeholders from the…
Conjoined collaborative robots, functioning as supernumerary robotic bodies (SRBs), can enhance human load tolerance abilities. However, in tasks involving physical interaction with humans, users may still adopt awkward, non-ergonomic…
Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SRLs) can enhance human capability within close proximity. However, as a wearable device, the generated moment from its operation acts on the human body as an external torque. When the moments increase, more…
For social robots to maintain long-term engagement as exercise instructors, rapport-building is essential. Motor mimicry--imitating one's physical actions--during social interaction has long been recognized as a powerful tool for fostering…
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a therapeutic approach used for the management of chronic pain. It involves the delivery of electrical impulses to the spinal cord via an implanted device, which when given suitable stimulus parameters can…
A sensor-fused wearable assistance prototype for upper-limb function (triceps brachii and extensor pollicis brevis) is presented. The device integrates surface electromyography (sEMG), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and flex/force…
Objective: Participation in a physical therapy program is considered one of the greatest predictors of successful conservative management of common shoulder disorders. However, adherence to these protocols is often poor and typically worse…
Aging populations and the rising prevalence of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders increase the demand for wearable mobility assistive devices that are effective, comfortable, and anatomically compatible. Many existing systems use…
This paper presents the development of a new passive assistive handwriting device, which aims to stabilize the motion of people living with movement disorders. Many people living with conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, muscular…
Due to hemiparesis, stroke survivors frequently develop a dysfunctional gait that is often characterized by an overall decrease in walking speed and a unilateral decrease in step length. With millions currently affected by this…
Post-stroke rehabilitation is often necessary for patients to regain proper walking gait. However, the typical therapy process can be exhausting and physically demanding for therapists, potentially reducing therapy intensity, duration, and…
Balancing oneself using the spine is a physiological alignment of the body posture in the most efficient manner by the muscular forces for mammals. For this reason, we can see many disabled quadruped animals can still stand or walk even…
Robot-Assisted Therapy (RAT) has successfully been used in Human Robot Interaction (HRI) research by including social robots in health-care interventions by virtue of their ability to engage human users in both social and emotional…
Majority of stroke survivors are left with poorly functioning paretic hands. Current rehabilitation devices have failed to motivate the patients enough to continue rehabilitation exercises. The objective of this project, MIDAS…
This paper presents the application of a learning control approach for the realization of a fast and reliable pick-and-place application with a spherical soft robotic arm. The arm is characterized by a lightweight design and exhibits…
Robot-Assisted Therapy (RAT) has successfully been used in HRI research by including social robots in health-care interventions by virtue of their ability to engage human users both social and emotional dimensions. Research projects on this…
The integration of technology into exercise regimens has emerged as a strategy to enhance normal human capabilities and return human motor function after injury or illness by enhancing motor learning and retention. Much research has focused…
Mastering robotic manipulation skills through reinforcement learning (RL) typically requires the design of shaped reward functions. Recent developments in this area have demonstrated that using sparse rewards, i.e. rewarding the agent only…
Current research on collaborative robots (cobots) in physical rehabilitation largely focuses on repeated motion training for people undergoing physical therapy (PuPT), even though these sessions include phases that could benefit from…
Neurological injuries and age-related decline can impair sensory processing and disrupt motor coordination, gait, and balance. As mechanisms of neuroplasticity have become better understood, vibration-based interventions have gained…