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SUMMARY:Talk "Robotic Augmentation of Human Locomotor Capabilities"
DTSTART:20190503T151500
DTSTAMP:20260928T200427Z
UID:4e3822c1eef54c51403cca7a0207fa22a07835c8c0c0126b49e3aed1
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Dr. Heike Valléry (TU Delft)\nThis event will take plac
 e at ETH Zürich\, but a stream via YouTube will be broadcasted in EPFL.\n
  \nAbstract:\nWearable robotics promise the tantalizing potential to enab
 le paralyzed individuals to walk again\, or to make able-bodied users stro
 nger or faster. Yet\, only in science fictions movies do people actually m
 ove around naturally in robotic suits\; the conventional approach has left
  us with cumbersome prototypes that are rather used for training than for 
 functional benefit. Delivering real-life solutions requires tackling the u
 nderlying engineering bottlenecks\, as well as tight and early collaborati
 on with users and healthcare professionals\, to continuously guide and ali
 gn technological development. This talk will advocate complementary design
 s that increase usability and functional benefit\, by avoiding overlap of 
 hardware or control with an individual‘s remaining human motor function.
  Following this paradigm\, designs may emerge that bear little resemblance
  to today‘s exoskeletons or robotic suits. For example\, in an individua
 l who only needs balance assistance\, supporting trunk orientation may be 
 less obtrusive and still more functional than supporting the legs. Technic
 ally\, this can be enabled in a wearable fashion by gyroscopic actuators\,
  hidden in inconspicuous backpacks\, that appear to connect the user to a 
 fixed frame in the air. For any application\, complementarity especially r
 equires scrutinizing the need for actuation or energy supply\, often enabl
 ing much lighter and cheaper solutions. Diverse examples will be provided\
 , from prosthetics for elderly amputees to next-generation gait training e
 nvironments\, and experimental results of individuals with orthopedic or n
 eurological impairments will be presented.
LOCATION:MED 1 1518 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room=MED11518
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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