Talk "Robotic Augmentation of Human Locomotor Capabilities"

This event will take place at ETH Zürich, but a stream via YouTube will be broadcasted in EPFL.
 
Abstract:
Wearable robotics promise the tantalizing potential to enable paralyzed individuals to walk again, or to make able-bodied users stronger or faster. Yet, only in science fictions movies do people actually move 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 underlying engineering bottlenecks, as well as tight and early collaboration with users and healthcare professionals, to continuously guide and align technological development. This talk will advocate complementary designs 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 individual who only needs balance assistance, supporting trunk orientation may be less obtrusive and still more functional than supporting the legs. Technically, 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 requires scrutinizing the need for actuation or energy supply, often enabling much lighter and cheaper solutions. Diverse examples will be provided, from prosthetics for elderly amputees to next-generation gait training environments, and experimental results of individuals with orthopedic or neurological impairments will be presented.