The Advanced Robotics and Controls Lab aims to eliminate physical disability through leveraging advances in neuroscience, biomechanics, engineering design, and artificial intelligence to create new robotic platforms that exceed performance of biologic limbs
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Torque and power-dense exoskeleton design
Torque and power-dense exoskeleton design
Powered exoskeletons have the potential to improve measures of ambulation for clinical populations. However, challenges exist integrating the actuators, braces, and power electronics into a lightweight usable technology, particularly because adding mass to an individual changes ambulation mechanics and increases human energy consumption. If not designed correctly, wearable exoskeletons make ambulation activities more difficult. To address this limitation, we design and evaluate active and passive transmission systems that can operate across multiple speed-torque power domains enabling lighter, more-efficient acuators and powered wearable robots.
Augmenting clinical population speed, balance, and gait efficiency
Augmenting clinical population speed, balance, and gait efficiency
Individuals with hemiparesis, above-knee amputation, and other physical disability often rely on compensatory motion of the intact or sound limbs to ambulate. The resulting gait is less efficient and less stable than normative gait. As a result, individuals with physical disability often walk slowly and are at high risk of falls. Long term, the compensatory motion can lead to over-use injuries like osteoarthritis and joint pain which further limit mobility. We design and evaluate control strategies that augment mobility of clinical populations.
Global advancement of wearable robotics
Global advancement of wearable robotics
The development and testing of wearable robotic platforms requires expertise and resources spanning the domains of mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, kinesiology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. The complexity of this interdisciplinary problem has slowed the advancement of wearable robotic technology. We collaborate with individuals at the University of Utah and Northern Arizona Univerity to create open-source technologies that prepare Undergradaute and Graduate students for research and development careers in the field of wearable robotics.
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