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The present paper introduces an original biofeedback system for improving human balance control, whose underlying principle consists in providing additional sensory information related to foot sole pressure distribution to the user through…
The remarkable athletic intelligence displayed by humans in complex dynamic movements such as dancing and gymnastics suggests that the balance mechanism in biological beings is decoupled from specific movement patterns. This decoupling…
We investigated the effects of a plantar pressure-based tongue-placed electrotactile biofeedback on postural control during quiet standing under normal and altered vestibular and neck proprioceptive conditions. To achieve this goal,…
Human walkers traverse diverse environments and demonstrate different gait locomotion and energy cost on granular terrains compared to solid ground. We present a stiffness-based model predictive control approach of knee exoskeleton…
With rapid advancements in exoskeleton hardware technologies, successful assessment and accurate control remain challenging. This study introduces a modular sensor-based system to enhance biomechanical evaluation and control in lower-limb…
While humans are highly capable of recovering from external disturbances and uncertainties that result in large tracking errors, humanoid robots have yet to reliably mimic this level of robustness. Essential to this is the ability to…
Control strategies for active prostheses or orthoses use sensor inputs to recognize the user's locomotive intention and generate corresponding control commands for producing the desired locomotion. In this paper, we propose a learning-based…
This paper presents design principles for comfort-centered wearable robots and their application in a lightweight and backdrivable knee exoskeleton. The mitigation of discomfort is treated as mechanical design and control issues and three…
Purpose: Six million people use crutches as mobile aids in the US. Rigid designs with no axial mobility limit sensory feedback and lead to secondary injury on the upper joints. Spring-loaded designs offer compliance but may compromise…
To enable the broad adoption of wearable robotic exoskeletons in medical and industrial settings, it is crucial they can adaptively support large repertoires of movements. We propose a new human-machine interface to simultaneously drive…
This study proposes a novel planning framework based on a model predictive control formulation that incorporates signal temporal logic (STL) specifications for task completion guarantees and robustness quantification. This marks the…
Locomotion of legged machines faces the problems of model complexity and computational costs. Algorithms based on complex models and/or reinforcement learning exist to solve the walking control task. In this project, we aim to develop a…
This paper presents a gait controller for bipedal robots to achieve highly agile walking over various terrains given local slope and friction cone information. Without these considerations, untimely impacts can cause a robot to trip and…
Balance and gait disorders are the second leading cause of falls, which, along with consequent injuries, are reported as major public health problems all over the world. For patients who do not require mechanical support, vibrotactile…
In biomechanics and robotics, elasticity plays a crucial role in enhancing locomotion efficiency and stability. Traditional approaches in legged robots often employ series elastic actuators (SEA) with discrete rigid components, which, while…
For the impulsive ankle push-off (APO) observed in human walking two muscle-tendon-units (MTUs) spanning the ankle joint play an important role: Gastrocnemius (GAS) and Soleus (SOL). GAS and SOL load the Achilles tendon to store elastic…
Legged robots promise higher versatility and the ability to traverse much more difficult terrains than their wheeled counterparts. Even though the use of legged robots have increased drastically in the last few years, they are still not…
Many-legged elongated robots show promise for reliable mobility on rugged landscapes. However, most studies on these systems focus on planar motion planning without addressing rapid vertical motion. Despite their success on mild rugged…
Passive dynamic walkers are widely adopted as a mathematical model to represent biped walking. The stable locomotion of these models is limited to tilted surfaces, requiring gravitational energy. Various techniques, such as actuation…
Preferred walking speed is a widely-used performance measure for people with mobility issues, but is usually measured in straight line walking for fixed distances or durations. However, daily walking involves walking for bouts of different…