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Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation

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Open Access 01-12-2019 | Stroke | Research

Voluntary control of wearable robotic exoskeletons by patients with paresis via neuromechanical modeling

Authors: Guillaume Durandau, Dario Farina, Guillermo Asín-Prieto, Iris Dimbwadyo-Terrer, Sergio Lerma-Lara, Jose L. Pons, Juan C. Moreno, Massimo Sartori

Published in: Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation | Issue 1/2019

Abstract

Background

Research efforts in neurorehabilitation technologies have been directed towards creating robotic exoskeletons to restore motor function in impaired individuals. However, despite advances in mechatronics and bioelectrical signal processing, current robotic exoskeletons have had only modest clinical impact. A major limitation is the inability to enable exoskeleton voluntary control in neurologically impaired individuals. This hinders the possibility of optimally inducing the activity-driven neuroplastic changes that are required for recovery.

Methods

We have developed a patient-specific computational model of the human musculoskeletal system controlled via neural surrogates, i.e., electromyography-derived neural activations to muscles. The electromyography-driven musculoskeletal model was synthesized into a human-machine interface (HMI) that enabled poststroke and incomplete spinal cord injury patients to voluntarily control multiple joints in a multifunctional robotic exoskeleton in real time.

Results

We demonstrated patients’ control accuracy across a wide range of lower-extremity motor tasks. Remarkably, an increased level of exoskeleton assistance always resulted in a reduction in both amplitude and variability in muscle activations as well as in the mechanical moments required to perform a motor task. Since small discrepancies in onset time between human limb movement and that of the parallel exoskeleton would potentially increase human neuromuscular effort, these results demonstrate that the developed HMI precisely synchronizes the device actuation with residual voluntary muscle contraction capacity in neurologically impaired patients.

Conclusions

Continuous voluntary control of robotic exoskeletons (i.e. event-free and task-independent) has never been demonstrated before in populations with paretic and spastic-like muscle activity, such as those investigated in this study. Our proposed methodology may open new avenues for harnessing residual neuromuscular function in neurologically impaired individuals via symbiotic wearable robots.

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Title: Voluntary control of wearable robotic exoskeletons by patients with paresis via neuromechanical modeling
Authors: Guillaume Durandau
Dario Farina
Guillermo Asín-Prieto
Iris Dimbwadyo-Terrer
Sergio Lerma-Lara
Jose L. Pons
Juan C. Moreno
Massimo Sartori
Publication date: 01-12-2019
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keyword: Stroke
Published in: Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1743-0003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-019-0559-z

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Springer Medicine

Voluntary control of wearable robotic exoskeletons by patients with paresis via neuromechanical modeling

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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