Development of wearable assistive technologies for human mobility

开发用于人类移动的可穿戴辅助技术

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04295
• 负责人: Doumit, Marc
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=739871
• 关键词: Development; wearable; assistive; technologies; human

The relationship between human mobility and quality of life has been widely studied. The loss of mobility is not solely associated with physical disabilities but has a significant effect on all aspects of life, including mental and social aspects. Mobility issues are a substantial challenge for the aging population due to their weakening musculoskeletal systems and vulnerability to instability and falling. With reference to the 2016 census, there are 5,935,635 Canadian seniors (i.e. 65 years of age or older). This demographic is expected to further increase as life expectancy rises. Maintaining and enhancing mobility for seniors is of critical importance for society as a whole and must be addressed with viable solutions.    Researchers have recently developed mobility assistive devices to enhance people's ability to walk. Among these innovations is the Walking Assist Exoskeleton (WAE), which is a wearable robotic device that interacts with the user's body to assist with physical activities. Primarily driven by electrical motors and rigid links, it has the ability to physically assist the user. However, this solution is not without limitations. Limited range of motion, discomfort, bulkiness, limited operation time and excessive cost are among its many drawbacks. Recent alternative solutions have been emerging, notably passively-driven WAE. While these mechanical systems display the potential of creating simple and cost-effective mechanical exoskeletons, they still face challenges related to range of motion, adaptability, as well as synchronization of gait energy-storing-and-releasing mechanisms.    This research program proposes the development of self-sufficient sex-specific WAEs that employ conforming mechanical joints, quasi-passive actuators and gait sensors. These system characteristics yield to a compliant physical interface with the user that enhances their mobility without impeding natural joint kinematics. Without relying on an external power source, the system would harvest the kinetic and potential energy of human gait and return it as a mechanical contribution. System performance and adaptability are enhanced by actively controlling the passive behaviour of the actuators and gait energy-storing-and-releasing mechanisms throughout the gait cycle.    For the proposed WAEs, compliant passive actuators are explored, namely, the Tubular Soft Composite and Twisted Coiled-Polymer. While both types of actuators would face challenges pertaining to the power source necessary for their functioning within a self-sufficient system such as a WAE, they are both developed with the ability to actively control the passive behaviour of the mechanism, providing the system with the power to adapt.    Unlike current technologically advanced WAEs, the proposed exoskeleton will be affordable, comfortable and functional, allowing for the restoration or enhancement of an elderly user's mobility and reduction of metabolic cost during locomotion.

人类流动性与生活质量之间的关系已得到广泛研究，流动性丧失不仅与身体残疾有关，而且对生活的各个方面都有重大影响，包括精神和社会方面的流动性问题是对人们的重大挑战。由于肌肉骨骼系统衰弱以及容易摔倒而导致人口老龄化 根据 2016 年人口普查，加拿大有 5,935,635 名老年人（即 65 岁或以上）。随着预期寿命的延长，保持和增强老年人的行动能力对于整个社会至关重要，必须通过可行的解决方案来解决这些创新。步行辅助外骨骼（WAE）是一种可穿戴机器人设备，可与用户的身体互动以协助身体活动，主要由电动机和刚性连杆驱动，能够为用户提供身体协助。然而，该解决方案并非没有局限性，但其许多缺点包括运动范围有限、不适、笨重、操作时间有限和成本过高等，但被动驱动的 WAE 却显示出了其潜力。在创造简单且经济高效的机械外骨骼的过程中，他们仍然面临着与运动范围、适应性以及步态能量存储和释放机制的同步相关的挑战。自给自足的特定性别 WAE 采用一致的机械关节、准被动执行器和步态传感器，这些系统特性为用户提供了顺应的物理接口，增强了用户的移动性，而不会妨碍自然的关节运动学，且无需依赖外部电源。 ，系统将收集人类步态的动能和势能，并将其作为机械贡献返回，通过主动控制执行器和步态的被动行为来增强系统性能和适应性。在整个步态周期中存储和释放能量的机制。对于所提出的WAE，我们探索了顺应性被动执行器，即管状软复合材料和扭曲卷曲聚合物，但这两种类型的执行器都面临着与所需电源有关的挑战。为了在 WAE 这样的自给自足的系统中发挥作用，它们都具有主动控制机制被动行为的能力，为系统提供了与当前技术先进的WAE不同，所提出的外骨骼将是负担得起的、舒适的和功能性的，允许恢复或增强老年用户的活动能力并减少运动过程中的代谢成本。