(Press-News.org) Contact information: Byron Spice
bspice@cs.cmu.edu
412-268-9068
Carnegie Mellon University
Bio-inspired robotic device could aid ankle-foot rehabilitation, CMU researcher says
Unlike rigid exoskeletons, soft wearable robot enables natural motions
PITTSBURGH—A soft, wearable device that mimics the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the lower leg could aid in the rehabilitation of patients with ankle-foot disorders such as drop foot, said Yong-Lae Park, an assistant professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University.
Park, working with collaborators at Harvard University, the University of Southern California, MIT and BioSensics, developed an active orthotic device using soft plastics and composite materials, instead of a rigid exoskeleton. The soft materials, combined with pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs), lightweight sensors and advanced control software, made it possible for the robotic device to achieve natural motions in the ankle.
The researchers reported on the development in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.
Park, who did the work while a post-doctoral researcher at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, said the same approach could be used to create rehabilitative devices for other joints of the body or even to create soft exoskeletons that increase the strength of the wearer.
The robotic device would be suitable for aiding people with neuromuscular disorders of the foot and ankle associated with cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis or stroke. These gait disorders include drop foot, in which the forefoot drops because of weakness or paralysis, and equinus, in which the upward bending motion of the ankle is limited. Conventional passive ankle braces can improve gait, but long-term use can lead to muscle atrophy because of disuse.
Active, powered devices can improve function and also help re-educate the neuromuscular system, Park said. "But the limitation of a traditional exoskeleton is that it limits the natural degrees of freedom of the body," he added. The ankle is naturally capable of a complicated three-dimensional motion, but most rigid exoskeletons allow only a single pivot point.
The soft orthotic device, by contrast, enabled the researchers to mimic the biological structure of the lower leg. The device's artificial tendons were attached to four PAMs, which correspond with three muscles in the foreleg and one in the back that control ankle motion. The prototype was capable of generating an ankle range of sagittal motion of 27 degrees — sufficient for a normal walking gait.
The tradeoff, however, is that the soft device is more difficult to control than a rigid exoskeleton. It thus required more sophisticated sensing to track the position of the ankle and foot and a more intelligent scheme for controlling foot motion, Park said.
Among the innovations in the device are sensors made of a touch-sensitive artificial skin, thin rubber sheets that contain long microchannels filled with a liquid metal alloy. When these rubber sheets are stretched or pressed, the shapes of the microchannels change, which in turn causes changes in the electrical resistance of the alloy. These sensors were positioned on the top and at the side of the ankle.
Park said additional work will be necessary to improve the wearability of the device. This includes artificial muscles that are less bulky than the commercially produced PAMs used in this project. Park said a subsequent project, which will be presented at an upcoming technical conference, used flat, strap-like actuators instead of the cylindrical PAMs.
The device has yet to be tested on patients to determine its performance as a rehabilitative tool.
INFORMATION:
A video of the device is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbXRiTbuDvY.
This research was sponsored by the Wyss Institute and the National Science Foundation.
About Carnegie Mellon University: Carnegie Mellon is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More than 12,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Pittsburgh, Pa., California's Silicon Valley and Qatar, and programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Mexico.
Bio-inspired robotic device could aid ankle-foot rehabilitation, CMU researcher says
Unlike rigid exoskeletons, soft wearable robot enables natural motions
2014-01-21
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Training your brain using neurofeedback
2014-01-21
Training your brain using neurofeedback
A new brain-imaging technique for a true brain workout
A new brain-imaging technique enables people to 'watch' their own brain activity in real time and to control or adjust function in pre-determined brain regions. The study from ...
New study finds mistimed sleep disrupts rhythms of genes in humans
2014-01-21
New study finds mistimed sleep disrupts rhythms of genes in humans
A new study from the University of Surrey, published today in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), found that the daily rhythms of our genes are disrupted when sleep times shift.
Researchers ...
Hospital water taps contaminated with bacteria
2014-01-21
Hospital water taps contaminated with bacteria
Additional research needed to uncover how water contamination threatens patient safety
New research finds significantly higher levels of infectious pathogens in water from faucet taps with aerators ...
Frog fathers don't mind dropping off their tadpoles in cannibal-infested pools
2014-01-21
Frog fathers don't mind dropping off their tadpoles in cannibal-infested pools
Male dyeing poison frogs make seemingly strange parental decisions in depositing tadpoles in not-so-safe havens
Given a choice, male dyeing poison frogs snub empty pools in favor of ones ...
Novel nanotherapy breakthrough may help reduce recurrent heart attacks and stroke
2014-01-21
Novel nanotherapy breakthrough may help reduce recurrent heart attacks and stroke
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai designs HDL nanoparticle to deliver statin medication inside inflamed blood vessels to prevent repeat ...
Different sponge species have highly specific, stable microbiomes, MBL team reports
2014-01-21
Different sponge species have highly specific, stable microbiomes, MBL team reports
WOODS HOLE, Mass. —The sea sponge is about as simple as an animal can get, but its associated bacterial community—its microbiome —is known to approach the complexity of the diverse ...
British Muslims with diabetes need more healthcare support during Ramadan
2014-01-21
British Muslims with diabetes need more healthcare support during Ramadan
British Muslims with diabetes may avoid attending GP surgeries to discuss fasting during the holy month of Ramadan with potentially serious consequences for their future health, ...
Cocaine users enjoy social interactions less
2014-01-21
Cocaine users enjoy social interactions less
In Europe as well as worldwide, cocaine is the second most frequently used drug after cannabis. Chronic cocaine users display worse memory performance, concentration difficulties, and attentional deficits but also ...
Depression higher than previously reported in people with severe rheumatoid arthritis
2014-01-21
Depression higher than previously reported in people with severe rheumatoid arthritis
Levels of depression and anxiety in people with severe rheumatoid arthritis are higher than previously reported, according to new research
Levels of depression ...
Researchers discover an epigenetic lesion in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's
2014-01-21
Researchers discover an epigenetic lesion in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease can reach epidemic range in the coming decades, by the increasing average age of society.
There are two key issues for Alzheimer's disease: ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
AI and the Future of Cancer Research and Cancer Care to headline October 24 gathering of global oncology leaders at the National Press Club: NFCR Global Summit to feature top scientists, entrepreneurs
FDA clears UCLA heart tissue regeneration drug AD-NP1 for clinical trials
Exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol for Alzheimer's
We need a solar sail probe to detect space tornadoes earlier, more accurately, U-M researchers say
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): Disease risk but not remission status determines transplant outcomes – new ASAP long-term results
Sperm microRNAs: Key regulators of the paternal transmission of exercise capacity
Seeing double: Clever images open doors for brain research
Inhaler-related greenhouse gas emissions in the US
UCLA Health study finds inhalers for asthma and COPD drive significant greenhouse gas emissions
A surgical handover system for patient physiology and safety
Cardiovascular health changes in young adults and risk of later-life cardiovascular disease
Nurse workload and missed nursing care in neonatal intensive care units
How to solve the remote work stalemate – dissertation offers tools for successful hybrid work
Chip-based phonon splitter brings hybrid quantum networks closer to reality
Texas Children’s researchers create groundbreaking tool to improve accuracy of genetic testing
Milken Institute, Ann Theodore Foundation announce more than $2.5 million in new funding for sarcoidosis research and launch new call for proposals
Boston University professor to receive 2025 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award
Pusan National University researchers reveal how forest soil properties influence arsenic mobility and toxicity in soil organisms
Korea University researchers find sweet taste cells resist nerve damage through c-Kit protein
HealthFORCE, AAPA, and West Health release “Aging Well with AI” – first in a two part series on AI and the healthcare workforce
The real reasons Endurance sank — study finds Shackleton knew of ship’s shortcomings
Marine heatwaves have hidden impacts on ocean food webs and carbon cycling
Order from disordered proteins
Rocket test proves bacteria survive space launch and re-entry unharmed
New wheat diversity discovery could provide an urgently-needed solution to global food security
Could reducing inflammation help combat fatigue in people with early-stage breast cancer?
Traumatic brain injuries in older adults linked to increased risk of dementia
New intervention helps pediatricians promote early peanut introduction to prevent peanut allergy
New survey: Most Americans believe plasma donation saves lives, yet few have donated
New tools boost pediatricians’ adherence to peanut allergy guidelines 15-fold
[Press-News.org] Bio-inspired robotic device could aid ankle-foot rehabilitation, CMU researcher saysUnlike rigid exoskeletons, soft wearable robot enables natural motions