Bio-Robotic Walking Orthoses

Investigators:

Professor GS Virk and Dr AKM Azad, University of Portsmouth
Professor R Allen and Dr PH Chappell, University of Southampton
Dr. MO Tokhi, University of Sheffield
   

Collaborators:

Professor I Swain, Salisbury District Hospital
Mr Robert Morgan and Mr Robert Tylor, The Inspire Foundation
Mr Stephen Bradshaw, Spinal Injuries Association

EPSRC Funding: £110,246

Abstract:

The project addresses the problem of independent mobility for disabled and elderly people. In a recent survey carried out by the charity, Inspire Foundation, the clear message from young spinal injured persons was that upright mobility was the most important wish, followed closely by the simple desire to be able to stand. In this project the possibility of developing bio-robotic aids to satisfy this simple desire for verticality, which able-bodied people take for granted will be investigated. In order to achieve this aim, the team will bring together their knowledge in the area of robotics with the needs of disabled persons to see if the technology is ripe for adoption to benefit disabled and elderly persons. There is clearly a need for innovation in this area, as the technologies currently available have severe problems of comfort, ease of use, give rise to problems of access and severe restrictions on their time of operation.

The project consortium includes technologists, engineers, medical practitioners, patients and charities to define the requirements for the devices needed which will be translated into functional requirements for testing and evaluation by robot scientists. After this first phase of the research, it should be possible to ascertain if robotics is mature enough to deliver worthwhile devices for paraplegics and tetraplegics.As a result of this, it is likely that a further research project can be formulated and initiated. The application of bio-robotic aids involves addressing considerable system integration issues and what types of technologies suit different types of users. In carrying out the design for the devices built, a modular concept that has been proposed by the European network on climbing and walking robots (CLAWAR; http://www.uwe.ac.uk/clawar) will be adopted. Here, by using the concept of an “interaction space”, components within a generic framework will be designed to allow ease and flexibility in interfacing to other components and permit straightforward changing of technologies as different ones become available. The interaction space that has been developed includes powering aspects, communication databus protocols, mechanics (structural and linkages), analogue, digital and environmental conditions.

Contact: Gurvinder Virk
Tel: 023 9284 2340
Email: gurvinder.virk@port.ac.uk.
www.port.ac.uk/research/C&R

Richard Allen
www.esd.ecs.soton.ac.uk

Dr. MO Tokhi, University of Sheffield
www.sheffield.ac.uk


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