2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Control of human upper limb by electrical stimulation for accurate motion with external mechanical assistance of high bandwidth: basic mechanism and modeling
| Project/Area Number |
20K19843
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
黄 守仁 東京大学, 情報基盤センター, 特任講師 (20750029)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | human-robot interaction / mechanical assistance / electrical stimulation / high-bandwidth |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The purpose of this research is to investigate the mechanism and modeling for control of human limbs (specifically, we focus on upper limbs) by electrical stimulation to realize accurate manipulation with external mechanical assistance of high bandwidth.
In the first year, we designed and established a human-machine interaction system involving mechanical assistance of high-bandwidth. Mechanical assistance of high-bandwidth was realized by high-speed visual feedback as well as high-speed actuators. In developing this human-machine interaction system, we focused on the human modalities of visual and force feedback as well as the fundamental feature of our bimanual coordination mechanism that shows the natural tendency to synchronize our upper limbs, resulting in preferred symmetrical patterns of interlimb coordination.
For the other important part of this research, electrical stimulation devices that can generate two channels of programmable electrical pulses under safety requirements were designed and developed. Each channel of the electrical stimulation can be controlled to generate electrical pulses with a frequency between 0 - 2000Hz and with the output current between 0 - 20mA.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
We have developed the human-machine interaction system utilizing human visual and force feedback modalities and conducted the primary experimental studies on the interaction between human and external mechanical assistance of bandwidth in terms of bimanual coordination. As an early-stage study, we investigated and verified the possibility of human-machine interaction for accurate manipulation under visual and force feedback utilizing the bimanual synchronous mechanism.
On the other hand, with the developed electrical stimulation devices to stimulate the biceps and triceps of human upper limb, we laid the foundation to reconstruct the motion function of human elbow joint to accomplish accurate rotational motion under external mechanical assistance of high bandwidth.
Although the work of conducting experimental studies on human volunteers with the developed human-machine interaction system has been slightly interrupted by the COVID19 pandemic, we have rescheduled the work plan and replaced it with the work of developing electrical stimulation devices.
Overall, the research is progressing smoothly.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The following two aspects are scheduled to be implemented in the next step. Firstly, experimental studies on human volunteers (with the approval of the Office for Life Science Research Ethics and Safety, the University of Tokyo) by the developed human-machine interaction system utilizing human modalities of visual and force feedback under bimanual coordination mechanism.
Secondly, we will try to reconstruct the motion function of human elbow joint to accomplish rotational motion by the developed electrical stimulation devices to stimulate the biceps and triceps of human upper limb, under external mechanical assistance of high bandwidth. Models to fuse multimodal mechanical feedback with high-frequency for electrical stimulation for control of human upper limb in order to realize collaborative motion with external mechanical assistance will be investigated.
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| Causes of Carryover |
By reusing the existing actuators and control circuits for primary test, the scheduled purchase of motors, mechanical parts as well as electrical parts to develop the force feedback device of the human-machine interaction system was postponed into the next year. Secondly, instead of developing a whole new electrical stimulation device, we improved the existing system with some new control circuits and isolators to meet with the safety requirements as well as our experimental needs. Besides, the scheduled travel budget to attend academic conferences was not fully implemented as conferences have been held on-line.
The budget will be spent on the following aspects. Firstly, the output torque of the current force feedback device for human-machine interaction is not sufficiently large. Therefore new actuators, mechanical parts as well as electrical parts will be purchased. Secondly, some necessary items and fees are scheduled to conduct the experimental studies on human volunteers. Finally, publication fees as well as registration fees for conferences are scheduled in order to present the results of this study.
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