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Description
The interaction between humans and robots has become an important area of research as the diversity of robotic applications has grown. The cooperation of a human and robot to achieve a goal is an important area within the physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) field. The expansion of this field is toward

The interaction between humans and robots has become an important area of research as the diversity of robotic applications has grown. The cooperation of a human and robot to achieve a goal is an important area within the physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) field. The expansion of this field is toward moving robotics into applications in unstructured environments. When humans cooperate with each other, often there are leader and follower roles. These roles may change during the task. This creates a need for the robotic system to be able to exchange roles with the human during a cooperative task. The unstructured nature of the new applications in the field creates a need for robotic systems to be able to interact in six degrees of freedom (DOF). Moreover, in these unstructured environments, the robotic system will have incomplete information. This means that it will sometimes perform an incorrect action and control methods need to be able to correct for this. However, the most compelling applications for robotics are where they have capabilities that the human does not, which also creates the need for robotic systems to be able to correct human action when it detects an error. Activity in the brain precedes human action. Utilizing this activity in the brain can classify the type of interaction desired by the human. For this dissertation, the cooperation between humans and robots is improved in two main areas. First, the ability for electroencephalogram (EEG) to determine the desired cooperation role with a human is demonstrated with a correct classification rate of 65%. Second, a robotic controller is developed to allow the human and robot to cooperate in six DOF with asymmetric role exchange. This system allowed human-robot cooperation to perform a cooperative task at 100% correct rate. High, medium, and low levels of robotic automation are shown to affect performance, with the human making the greatest numbers of errors when the robotic system has a medium level of automation.
ContributorsWhitsell, Bryan Douglas (Author) / Artemiadis, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Berman, Spring (Committee member) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Description
Human locomotion is an essential function that enables individuals to lead healthy, independent lives. One important feature of natural walking is the capacity to transition across varying surfaces, enabling an individual to traverse complex terrains while maintaining balance. There has been extensive work regarding improving prostheses' performance in changing walking

Human locomotion is an essential function that enables individuals to lead healthy, independent lives. One important feature of natural walking is the capacity to transition across varying surfaces, enabling an individual to traverse complex terrains while maintaining balance. There has been extensive work regarding improving prostheses' performance in changing walking conditions, but there is still a need to address the transition from rigid to compliant or dynamic surfaces, such as the transition from pavement to long grass or soft sand. This research aims to investigate the mechanisms involved such transitions and identify potential indicators of the anticipated change that can be applied to the control of a powered ankle prosthetic to reduce falls and improve stability in lower-limb amputees in a wider range of walking environments. A series of human subject experiments were conducted using the Variable Stiffness Treadmill (VST) to control walking surface compliance while gait kinematics and muscular activation data were collected from three healthy, nondisabled subjects. Specifically, the kinematics and electromyography (EMG) profiles of the gait cycles immediately preceding and following an expected change in surface compliance were compared to that of normal, rigid surface walking. While the results do not indicate statistical differences in the EMG profiles between the two modes of walking, the muscle activation appears to be qualitatively different from inspection of the data. Additionally, there were promising statistically significant changes in joint angles, especially in observed increases in hip flexion during the swing phases both before and during an expected change in surface. Decreases in ankle flexion immediately before heel strike on the perturbed leg were also observed to occur simultaneously with decreases in tibialis anterior (TA) muscle activation, which encourages additional research investigating potential changes in EMG profiles. Ultimately, more work should be done to make strong conclusions about potential indicators of walking surface transitions, but this research demonstrates the potential of EMG and kinematic data to be used in the control of a powered ankle prosthetic.
ContributorsFou, Linda (Author) / Artemiadis, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
Locomotion is of prime importance in enabling human beings to effectively respond

in space and time to meet different needs. Approximately 2 million Americans live

with an amputation with most of those amputations being of the lower limbs. To

advance current state-of-the-art lower limb prosthetic devices, it is necessary to adapt

performance at a

Locomotion is of prime importance in enabling human beings to effectively respond

in space and time to meet different needs. Approximately 2 million Americans live

with an amputation with most of those amputations being of the lower limbs. To

advance current state-of-the-art lower limb prosthetic devices, it is necessary to adapt

performance at a level of intelligence seen in human walking. As such, this thesis

focuses on the mechanisms involved during human walking, while transitioning from

rigid to compliant surfaces such as from pavement to sand, grass or granular media.

Utilizing a unique tool, the Variable Stiffness Treadmill (VST), as the platform for

human walking, rigid to compliant surface transitions are simulated. The analysis of

muscular activation during the transition from rigid to different compliant surfaces

reveals specific anticipatory muscle activation that precedes stepping on a compliant

surface. There is also an indication of varying responses for different surface stiffness

levels. This response is observed across subjects. Results obtained are novel and

useful in establishing a framework for implementing control algorithm parameters to

improve powered ankle prosthesis. With this, it is possible for the prosthesis to adapt

to a new surface and therefore resulting in a more robust smart powered lower limb

prosthesis.
ContributorsObeng, Ruby Afriyie (Author) / Artemiadis, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Santello, Marco (Thesis advisor) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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Description
Basilisk lizards are often studied for their unique ability to run across the surface of

water. Due to the complicated fluid dynamics of this process, the forces applied on the

water’s surface cannot be measured using traditional methods. This thesis presents a

novel technique of measuring the forces using a fluid dynamic force

Basilisk lizards are often studied for their unique ability to run across the surface of

water. Due to the complicated fluid dynamics of this process, the forces applied on the

water’s surface cannot be measured using traditional methods. This thesis presents a

novel technique of measuring the forces using a fluid dynamic force platform (FDFP),

a light, rigid box immersed in water. This platform, along with a motion capture

system, can be used to characterize the kinematics and dynamics of a basilisk lizard

running on water. This could ultimately lead to robots that can run on water in a

similar manner.
ContributorsSweeney, Andrew Joseph (Author) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Thesis advisor) / Lentink, David (Committee member) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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Description
Soft Poly-Limb (SPL) is a pneumatically driven, wearable, soft continuum robotic arm designed to aid humans with medical conditions, such as cerebral palsy, paraplegia, cervical spondylotic myelopathy, perform activities of daily living. To support user's tasks, the SPL acts as an additional limb extending from the human body which can

Soft Poly-Limb (SPL) is a pneumatically driven, wearable, soft continuum robotic arm designed to aid humans with medical conditions, such as cerebral palsy, paraplegia, cervical spondylotic myelopathy, perform activities of daily living. To support user's tasks, the SPL acts as an additional limb extending from the human body which can be controlled to perform safe and compliant mobile manipulation in three-dimensional space. The SPL is inspired by invertebrate limbs, such as the elephant trunk and the arms of the octopus. In this work, various geometrical and physical parameters of the SPL are identified, and behavior of the actuators that comprise it are studied by varying their parameters through novel quasi-static computational models. As a result, this study provides a set of engineering design rules to create soft actuators for continuum soft robotic arms by understanding how varying parameters affect the actuator's motion as a function of the input pressure. A prototype of the SPL is fabricated to analyze the accuracy of these computational models by performing linear expansion, bending and arbitrary pose tests. Furthermore, combinations of the parameters based on the application of the SPL are determined to affect the weight, payload capacity, and stiffness of the arm. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed computational models and help in understanding the behavior of soft compliant actuators. Finally, based on the set functional requirements for the assistance of impaired users, results show the effectiveness of the SPL in performing tasks for activities of daily living.
ContributorsNuthi, Sai Gautham (Author) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Yong, Sze Zheng (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
The world population is aging. Age-related disorders such as stroke and spinal cord injury are increasing rapidly, and such patients often suffer from mobility impairment. Wearable robotic exoskeletons are developed that serve as rehabilitation devices for these patients. In this thesis, a knee exoskeleton design with higher torque output compared

The world population is aging. Age-related disorders such as stroke and spinal cord injury are increasing rapidly, and such patients often suffer from mobility impairment. Wearable robotic exoskeletons are developed that serve as rehabilitation devices for these patients. In this thesis, a knee exoskeleton design with higher torque output compared to the first version, is designed and fabricated.

A series elastic actuator is one of the many actuation mechanisms employed in exoskeletons. In this mechanism a torsion spring is used between the actuator and human joint. It serves as torque sensor and energy buffer, making it compact and

safe.

A version of knee exoskeleton was developed using the SEA mechanism. It uses worm gear and spur gear combination to amplify the assistive torque generated from the DC motor. It weighs 1.57 kg and provides a maximum assistive torque of 11.26 N·m. It can be used as a rehabilitation device for patients affected with knee joint impairment.

A new version of exoskeleton design is proposed as an improvement over the first version. It consists of components such as brushless DC motor and planetary gear that are selected to meet the design requirements and biomechanical considerations. All the other components such as bevel gear and torsion spring are selected to be compatible with the exoskeleton. The frame of the exoskeleton is modeled in SolidWorks to be modular and easy to assemble. It is fabricated using sheet metal aluminum. It is designed to provide a maximum assistive torque of 23 N·m, two times over the present exoskeleton. A simple brace is 3D printed, making it easy to wear and use. It weighs 2.4 kg.

The exoskeleton is equipped with encoders that are used to measure spring deflection and motor angle. They act as sensors for precise control of the exoskeleton.

An impedance-based control is implemented using NI MyRIO, a FPGA based controller. The motor is controlled using a motor driver and powered using an external battery source. The bench tests and walking tests are presented. The new version of exoskeleton is compared with first version and state of the art devices.
ContributorsJhawar, Vaibhav (Author) / Zhang, Wenlong (Thesis advisor) / Sugar, Thomas G. (Committee member) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018