Assistive and rehabilitation robots can enhance the quality of life for the elderly, people with disabilities, and their caregivers. To realize the clinical translation of these technologies, personalization to patient-specific ergonomics and functional needs is paramount. While the actions of the robot can be modified by monitoring and tuning of control parameters, this approach usually requires trial and error adjustments. On the other hand, customization of hardware has often been limited by fabrication techniques and cost. Recent advances in manufacturing, mechanism design, soft actuators and sensors have removed some of these historic barriers. Novel control architectures can then more easily adapt to the user with these novel hardware and sensing designs.
In this workshop, we will explore how physically interactive robotic devices can adapt to different user demographics, disease types, motor tasks, and patient functional progress via advances in hardware designs and control methods. Our panelists will present cutting-edge research that explores customization via fabrication of human-robot interfaces, as well as the corresponding control architectures. We aim to dig deep into the interplay between control and hardware adaptation in assistive and rehabilitation robotics, allowing panelists and participants to exchange perspectives on the benefits of software- and hardware-based personalization.
The workshop targets an audience with a general background in robotics, including young researchers. Participants can also contribute an abstract and poster of work related to the topic. They will have an opportunity to introduce their poster prior to the coffee break to encourage discussion during the coffee break/poster session
The speakers below have been asked to present their research related to personalized design and control of assistive and rehab robotics. Each speaker will present a brief overview of the work they have done and challenges they have faced dealing with unique users.
| 08:30-08:45 | Welcome and Introduction | (Katie and Jacqueline) |
| 08:45-9:05 | Powered neck exoskeletons for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | (Haohan Zhang) |
| 09:05-9:25 | A paradigm shift in wearable robotics hardware: the musculoskeletal expansion | (Leonardo Cappello) |
| 09:25-9:45 | Customizable Low-cost Textile Sensors and Soft Actuators | (Ana Luisa Trejos) |
| 09:45-10:05 | Panel Discussion | (Dr. Zhang, Dr. Cappello, and Dr. Trejos) |
| 10:05-10:15 | Poster Teasers | (Poster Contributors) |
| 10:15-10:45 | Coffee Break with poster presentations | |
| 10:45-11:05 | User-centric development of lower-limb robotic prostheses and exoskeletons | (Elliott Rouse) |
| 11:05-11:25 | Personalized Adaptive Assistance via Reinforcement Learning-Based Assist-as-Needed Control | (Damiano Zanotto) |
| 11:25-11:45 | Your own personal crystal ball: The role of continually learned predictions in adapting wearable robotic technology to users | (Patrick Pilarski) |
| 11:45-12:05 | Panel Discussion | (Dr. Rouse, Dr. Zanotto, and Dr. Pilarski) |
| 12:05-12:15 | Concluding Remarks | (Jacqueline and Katie) |
| 12:15-12:30 | Poster Presentations Encore | |
| 12:30-13:30 | Lunch break |