1,721,067 research outputs found
ZigBee wearable sensor development for upper limb robotics rehabilitation
Get PDFThis paper presents a novel tool oriented to upper limb therapy and rehabilitation and a new wireless sensors technology application in rehabilitation robotics destined to poststroke patients. Design was based on Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) communicating trough of a ZigBee Network. This Body sensor network allows kinematics register and electrical activity quantification in muscles during rehabilitation therapy. The IMU implementation was based on a direction cosine matrix. The validation technique was represented by a kinematics measurement of tridimensional videography. Simultaneous registers, from cameras of kinematics videography and IMUs were compared on the gesture of reaching and grasping repetitions.Fil: Braidot, Ariel Andrés Antonio. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cifuentes, Carlos C.. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo; BrasilFil: Frizera Neto, Anselmo. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo; BrasilFil: Frisoli, Melisa Antonella. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Santiago, Alfonso. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentin
Multimodal Human-Robot Interaction for Walker-Assisted Gait
Get PDFHuman mobility is affected by different types of pathologies and also decreases gradually with age. In this context, Smart Walkers may offer important benefits for human assisted-gait in rehabilitation and functional compensation scenarios. This paper proposes a new interaction strategy for human-walker cooperation. The presented strategy is based on the acquisition of human gait parameters by means of data fusion from inertial measurement units and a laser range finder. This paper includes the mathematical formulation of the controller, simulations, and practical experimentation of the interaction strategy, in order to show the performance of the control system, including the parameter detection methodology. In the experimental study, despite the continuous oscillation during the walking, the parameter estimation was suitable for assisted ambulation, showing an appropriate adaptive behavior with changes in human linear velocity. Finally, the controller keeps the walker continuously following in front of the human gait, and it is shown how the walker orientation follows the human orientation during the real experiments.Fil: Cifuentes, Carlos A.. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo. Centro Tecnológico; BrasilFil: Rodriguez, Camilo. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo. Centro Tecnológico; BrasilFil: Frizera Neto, Anselmo. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo. Centro Tecnológico; BrasilFil: Bastos Filho, Teodiano Freire. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo. Centro Tecnológico; BrasilFil: Carelli Albarracin, Ricardo Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Automática. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; Argentin
Human robot interaction based on wearable IMU sensor and laser range finder
Get PDFService robots are not only expected to navigate within the environment, as they also will may with people. Human tracking by mobile robots is essential for service robots and human interaction applications. In this work, the goal is to add a more natural robot–human following in front based on the normal human gait model. This approach proposes implementing and evaluating a human–robot interaction strategy, using the integration of a LRF (Laser Range Finder) tracking of human legs with wearable IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors for capturing the human movement during the gait. The work was carried out in four stages: first, the definition of the model of human–robot interaction and the control proposal were developed. Second, the parameters based on the human gait were estimated. Third, the robot and sensor integration setup are also proposed. Finally, the description of the algorithm for parameters detection is presented. In the experimental study, despite of the continuous oscillation during the walking, the parameters estimation was precise and unbiased, showing also repeatability with human linear velocities changes. The controller was evaluated with an eight-shaped curve, showing the stability of the controller even with sharp changes in the human path during real experiments.Fil: Cifuentes, Carlos. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo. Centro Tecnologico. Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica; BrasilFil: Freire Bastos, Teodiano. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo. Centro Tecnologico. Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica; BrasilFil: Carelli Albarracin, Ricardo Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Instituto de Automática; ArgentinaFil: Frizera Neto, Anselmo. Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo. Centro Tecnologico. Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica; Brasi
Online control of a mobility assistance smart walker
Get PDFDissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia BiomédicaThis work presents the NeoASAS project that was developed at the Bioengineering Group, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) in Madrid. Further, it continued with adaptations and improvements at Minho University with the Adaptive System Behavior Group (ASBG) in Guimarães, being designated by ASBGo Project.
These developments include the conceptual design, implementation and validation of Smart Walkers with a new interface approach integrated into these devices. This interface is based on a joystick and it is intended to extract the user’s movement intentions. It was designed to be user-friendly and efficient, meeting usability aspects and focused on a commercial implementation, but not being demanding at the user cognitive level. Considering the ASBGo walker, the overall assemblage, mechanical adjustments, electronics and computing have been performed.
First, a review about the mobility assistive devices is presented, specially focused on Smart Walkers. Despite the intensive research, in current literature, there are not many works providing a "point of the situation", and explaining the role that robotics can play in this domain.
Healthy users performed preliminary sets of experiments with each walker, which showed the sensibility of the joystick to extract command intentions from the user. These signals presented a higher frequency component that was attenuated by a Benedict-Bordner g-h filter, considering the NeoASAS walker and by a Butterworth circuit, considering the ASBGo walker. These methodologies offer a cancelation of the undesired components from joystick data, allowing the system to extract in real-time user’s commands. Based on this identification, an approach to the control architecture based on a fuzzy logic algorithm was developed, in order to allow the control of the walkers’ motors. In addition, a set of sensors were integrated on the walker for safety reasons: an infrared sensor to detect if the user is falling forwards; two force sensors to make sure that the user is properly grabbing the hand support; and two force sensors in the support forearms to verify if the user is with his forearms properly supported. This will make sure that the device stops when one of these situations happens.
Thus, an assistive device to provide safety and natural manoeuvrability was conceived and offers a certain degree of intelligence in assistance and decision-making. These results will be used to advance towards a commercial product with an affordable cost, but presenting high reliability and safety. The motivation is that this will contribute to improve rehabilitation purposes by promoting ambulatory daily exercises and thus extend users’ independent living.Este trabalho apresenta o projecto NeoASAS desenvolvido no Grupo de Bioengenharia, do Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) em Madrid. Este teve continuidade com adaptações e melhorias na Universidade do Minho com o grupo Adaptative System Behaviour (ASBG) em Guimarães, sendo designado por projecto ASBGo.
Estes desenvolvimentos incluem o projecto concetual, implementação e validação de andarilhos inteligentes com uma nova interface integrada nestes dispositivos. Esta interface é baseada num joystick e tem como objetivo a extração de intenções de comando do utilizador, sendo intuitiva e eficiente. Atende a aspectos de usabilidade e está focada numa aplicação comercial, não sendo exigente a nível cognitivo. Considerando o andarilho ASBGo, foi realizada a construção deste, bem como, ajustes mecânicos, eletrónicos e programação.
É apresentada uma revisão sobre os dispositivos de assistência à marcha, tendo especial enfoque os andarilhos. Apesar da intensa investigação, na literatura não existem trabalhos que apresentem o ponto de situação desta área, bem como o seu papel na robótica de reabilitação.
Depois foram realizados testes com utilizadores, mostrando a sensibilidade que o joytick tem na identificação de inteções de comando do utilizador. Além disso, os sinais apresentam uma componente de alta frequência que foi atenuada, no caso do NeoASAS, com um filtro g-h Benedict-Bordner, e no caso do ASBGo, através de um filtro Butterworth implementado em hardware.
As metodologias apresentadas oferecem um cancelamento componentes indesejáveis, permitindo ao sistema a extração das intenções de comando do utilizador em tempo real. Desta forma, uma arquitetura de controlo baseada em fuzzy logic foi desenvolvida de maneira a fornecer uma assistência segura ao utilizador, através do controlo dos motores. Foram também integrados um conjunto de sensores no andarilho por razões de segurança: um sensor infravermelho para detetar a queda frontal do utilizador, dois sensores de força nos apoios de mão para detetar se o utilizador está a agarrá-los, e dois sensores de força nos suportes de antebraço para certificar que o utilizador está devidamente apoiado.
Assim, foi concebido um dispositivo que garante a segurança do utilizador e oferece um certo grau de inteligência e tomada de decisão. Estes resultados serão utilizados para a criação de um produto comercial com custo acessível, mas com alta confiabilidade. A motivação deste trabalho reflete-se na contribuição que este dispositivo terá na melhoria da reabilitação e desenvolvimento de dispositivos ambulatórios para promover exercicios diários, e melhorar a vida dos utilizadores
Evaluation of temporal, spatial and spectral filtering in CSP-based methods for decoding pedaling-based motor tasks using EEG signals
No full textStroke is a neurological syndrome that usually causes a loss of voluntary control of lower/upper body movements, making it difficult for affected individuals to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) combined with robotic systems, such as Motorized Mini Exercise Bikes (MMEB), have enabled the rehabilitation of people with disabilities by decoding their actions and executing a motor task. However, Electroencephalography (EEG)-based BCIs are affected by the presence of physiological and non-physiological artifacts. Thus, movement discrimination using EEG become challenging, even in pedaling tasks, which have not been well explored in the literature. In this study, Common Spatial Patterns (CSP)-based methods were proposed to classify pedaling motor tasks. To address this, Filter Bank Common Spatial Patterns (FBCSP) and Filter Bank Common Spatial-Spectral Patterns (FBCSSP) were implemented with different spatial filtering configurations by varying the time segment with different filter bank combinations for the three methods to decode pedaling tasks. An in-house EEG dataset during pedaling tasks was registered for 8 participants. As results, the best configuration corresponds to a filter bank with two filters (8-19 Hz and 19-30 Hz) using a time window between 1.5 and 2.5 s after the cue and implementing two spatial filters, which provide accuracy of approximately 0.81, False Positive Rates lower than 0.19, and Kappa index of 0.61. This work implies that EEG oscillatory patterns during pedaling can be accurately classified using machine learning. Therefore, our method can be applied in the rehabilitation context, such as MMEB-based BCIs, in the future
Development and Evaluation of Camera-based System for Analysis of Dual-task in Faller and Non-faller Older Adults: Gait combined with Prehension
No full textOver the years, the population is aging rapidly and this is a global social and economic problem. As the age advances, it compromises the performance of motor abilities leading to an increased risk of falls. Recent studies suggest that there is a relationship between cognitive impairment and gait abnormalities and the gait performance has been used as predictor for cognitive decline and fall status, mainly in older adults with history of falls, also called faller older adults. The dual-task paradigm is a reference method that assess cognitive impairments, through the performance of the gait with another task simultaneously, such the combination of gait and prehension task, that is widely performed during activities of daily life. The investigation of the aging effects on gait pattern and grasp control when walking can be used as predictor to reduce the frequency of falls and to develop prevention of such falls. The biomechanics of human movement describes, analyzes and assesses human movement, including gait, posture and trunk movement and upper limb movement analysis. The advance in new technologies has facilitated the development of an objective evaluation of different movement parameters, such as accelerometers, force platforms and cameras. The Kinect sensor (Microsoft, USA) has been used for clinical motion analysis due to the low cost when compared with the expensive gold standard motion capturing systems. In addition, the Leap Motion Controller (Leap Motion, Inc., USA), also based on camera, has been used for analysis of hand movement. This work presents the development and evaluation of an accessible camera-based system using a sensor network composed by Kinect and Leap Motion Controller sensors to assess the gait and prehension parameters of fallers and non-fallers older adults under dual-task condition, gait combined with prehension. The proposed experimental protocol was divided in two conditions (walking through and dual-task) and was applied on twenty older adults (n=10). Results showed smaller step and stride lengths mean, and center of mass (CoM) velocity for fallers older adults. In addition, the both groups decreased the CoM velocity under dual-task condition, however, only faller older adults significantly decreased the step and stride lengths, with higher variability, in this condition. The faller older adults required longer movement time for perform the prehension task while walking, showing a performance more conservative. Results showed similarity with previous studies that used commercial systems, and the system developed capable to acquire the required parameters and evaluate the dual-task in the older adults. Future works involve the improvement of materials and techniques used in this work, and the analysis of more parameters.Resum
Sistema para análise de marcha online baseado e IMUs
Get PDFA clinical evaluation of functional gait capacity often occurs subjectively, based on the clinical practitioner’s experience and descriptive information on standard movement. This M.Sc. Dissertation describe the development of a system to online gait analysis, provided with a Graphcal User interface, able to supply these professionals with quantity informations about the kinematics of patient gait during the moviment execution. A database module has been developed to record the patiente gait parammeters during its daily live, with possibilitie further analysis by the clinical proffetional using the same system. The online operation was ensured, since the processing, from the acquisition of the sample to its on-screen display,is done before of a new sample be received by the data acquisition system. The system tests was divided in two sections, with two repetitions each one, and the subjects was placed to walk in a treadmill. In the first section, 10 stride with the right leg was obtained for each subject, to evaluate the system capacity in to delimit the gait cicles. In the second, each subject gait by one minute, to available the processing data system during the time. To gait kinematics estimate, aim of this work, its very important to detect the HS (Heel Strike) and TO (Toe Off) events, during the gait execution. This task was correctly executed in 94A avaliação clínica da capacidade funcional da marcha de pacientes frequentemente ocorre de maneira subjetiva, com base na experiência do profissional clínico e informações descritivas sobre os padrões de movimento. Este trabalho descreve o desenvolvimento de um sistema para análise de marcha online, dotado de uma Interface Gráfica de Usuário, capaz de prover a estes profissionais informações quantitativas a respeito da cinemática da marcha de pacientes à medida que ela ocorre. Um módulo de armazenamento dos dados também foi desenvolvido para que o usuário possa registrar sua marcha durante atividades cotidianas, para que uma análise posterior seja feita pelo profissional clínico, através do próprio sistema. O funcionamento online foi garantido, uma vez que o processamento, desde a aquisição da amostra até sua exibição na tela, é feito antes que uma nova amostra seja coletada pelo sistema de aquisição de dados. Os testes do sistema desenvolvido foram divididos em duas seções, com duas repetições cada, nas quais sete participantes eram postos a caminhar em uma esteira. Na primeira seção, 10 passadas com a perna direita foram adquiridas para cada participante, com o intuito de avaliar a capacidade do sistema em delimitar os ciclos da marcha. Na segunda, cada participante foi posto a caminhar por um minuto, a fim de avaliar a coerência dos dados processados ao longo do tempo. Para estimar os parâmetros cinemáticos da marcha, foco deste trabalho, é de fundamental importância detectar os eventos de HS (Heel Strike - Atingir do Calcanhar) e TO(Toe Off - Retirada do Pé) durante a marcha, tarefa executada de forma correta em 94% dos casos
Robotização de uma cadeira de rodas
Get PDFIn this work, it is developed a system of low-level control for a robotic wheelchair controlled by biological signals, including hardware (motor driver board) and software (firmware running on microcontroller). The goal is to support a high-level control system that captures, processes and interprets biological signals to control a robotic wheelchair. In this work a special focus is given to electronics, real-time operating system applied to robotic wheelchair and also low level controller applied to their. The control electronics of the wheelchair used an industrial communication network, the CAN network to support all application and control algorithms. All tasks implemented are managed by a realtime operating system. The low-level controller implemented allows independently control of the angular and linear speeds of the wheelchair. To achieve the objective proposed in this work, it was necessary to manipulate devices of power electronics, programming, algorithms, control and instrumentation, CAN network, real-time system, data storage and automatic control.Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um sistema de controle de baixo nível para uma cadeira de rodas robotizada controlada por sinais biológicos, incluindo hardware (Placa de Acionamento dos motores) e software (firmware executado em microcontrolador). O objetivo é dar suporte para um sistema de controle de alto nível que captura, processa e interpreta sinais biológicos a fim de controlar uma cadeira de rodas robótica. Neste trabalho foi dado um especial foco à eletrônica, ao sistema operacional de tempo real aplicado a cadeira de rodas robótica e ao controlador de baixo nível também aplicado a esta. A eletrônica de controle da cadeira de rodas utilizou uma rede de comunicação industrial, a rede CAN, para suportar toda a aplicação e algoritmos de controle. Todas as tarefas implementadas são geridas por um sistema operacional de tempo real. O controlador de baixo nível implementado é capaz de controlar de forma independente as velocidades angular e linear da cadeira de rodas. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto neste trabalho fez-se necessário manipular dispositivos de eletrônica de potência, programação, algoritmos de controle e instrumentação, rede CAN, sistema de tempo real, armazenamento de dados e controle automático
Desenvolvimento de um Sistema de Reconhecimento de Atividades Humanas e Monitoramento Remoto Utilizando um Dispositivo Vestível
Get PDFFactors such as the aging population and the consequent increase in the number of people with chronic diseases lead toan exponential increase of healthcarecosts, since the healthcaresystem must be able to serve an increasing number of people while maintaining the quality of the attendance. In order to reduce costsand improve quality, it is important tomove towardsa patient-centered healthcaresystem, in which it is possible todetect early warning signs, avoiding hospitalizations, as well as follow the patientsremotely, avoiding a stay in the hospital. In this context, remote monitoring devices become essential for gathering of important patient information and for making them available to the healthcare provider. The technological advancement regarding the miniaturization of sensors and the new low-power wireless communication technologiesencouragethe development of remote health monitoringsystems. Thiswork proposes the development of a system of human activity recognition andremote monitoring in three different approaches. For the first approach, an accuracy of 89.11%and a precision of 91.45%wereobtainedwhen classifyingsix different activities. For thelast two approaches, a complete structure of remote monitoringwas developed to monitor the user’s activity intensity, from thedata collection, in order to transfer it by e-mail to the health provider. Results demonstrate the efficacy of this system for human activity recognition and remote monitoring.Fatores como o envelhecimento da população e o consequente aumento do número de pessoas com doenças crônicas implicam um crescimento exponencial dos custos de assistência médica, visto que o sistema de saúde deve ser capaz de atender a um número cada vez maior de pessoas, mantendo a qualidade do atendimento. Visando redução de custos e melhoria da qualidade, seria desejável um sistema de saúde focado no paciente, no qual se poderia detectar precocemente condições médicas, evitando hospitalizações, bem como acompanhá-los remotamente, evitando a permanência destes no hospital. Nesse contexto, dispositivos de monitoramento remoto tornam-se essenciais para coletar informações importantes de pacientes e torná-las disponíveis ao provedor de saúde. O avanço tecnológico conseguido com a miniaturização de sensores e as novas tecnologias de comunicação sem fio de baixo consumo energético impulsionam o desenvolvimento de sistemas de monitoramento remoto de saúde com dispositivos vestíveis. O presente trabalho propõe o desenvolvimento de um sistema de reconhecimento de atividades humanas e de monitoramento remoto, utilizando três diferentes abordagens. Para a primeira abordagem, conseguiu-se uma acurácia de 89,11% e precisão de 91,45% na classificação de seis diferentes atividades. Já para as duas últimas abordagens, construiu-se a estrutura completa de monitoramento remoto da intensidade das atividades realizadas por uma pessoa, desde a coleta dos dados até o envio por e-mail para acompanhamento à distância pelo provedor de saúde. Os resultados obtidos com o sistema desenvolvido demonstram a sua viabilidade tanto para o reconhecimento de atividades humanas quanto para monitoramento remoto
Human walker interaction analysis and control strategy on slopes based on LRF and IMU sensors
No full textLAUREA MAGISTRAL
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