{"title":"2024 Index IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics Vol. 6","authors":"","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504972","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504972","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"6 4","pages":"1781-1815"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10766877","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142713844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing the Mechanics of a Variable-Stiffness Orthosis With Energy Recycling to Mitigate Foot Drop","authors":"Emily A. Bywater;Nikko Van Crey;Elliott J. Rouse","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3505304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3505304","url":null,"abstract":"In ankle-foot orthosis development, it is challenging to both specify the appropriate ankle mechanics and design systems that can physically render them. Recently, a new ankle-foot orthosis-the Variable Stiffness Orthosis (VSO)–was introduced to allow customization of the shape of the joint’s torque-angle relationship via a cam-based transmission. A module in the VSO permits switching between two coupled torque-angle relationships at desired kinematic transitions. This module decouples energy storage and return (DESR), enabling new functionality, including varying the ankle’s equilibrium position and exchanging energy between gait phases. However, the torque-angle relationships are defined by many parameters and subject to substantial constraints. We developed an optimization framework to design two versions of the DESR module to address foot drop. The angle module was designed to maximize swing ankle angle, and the energy module was designed to maximize energy recycled from early stance phase to augment push off. We validated the results of the optimization with brute-force searching and empirically tested the DESR mechanics in a rotary dynamometer. The angle module facilitated swing angles of up to 0.63° dorsiflexion, while simultaneously permitting a plantarflexed standing angle, and the energy module recycled up to 1.84 J.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"130-140"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Toward Highly Flexible Inter-User Calibration of Myoelectric Control Models With User-Defined Hand Gestures","authors":"Yangyang Yuan;Zihao Chen;Jionghui Liu;ChihHong Chou;Chenyun Dai;Xinyu Jiang","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504737","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504737","url":null,"abstract":"Myoelectric control models enabling accurate hand gesture recognition via electromyography (EMG) have attracted increasing attentions in rehabilitation robotics. Adapting pre-trained models to new users is a main challenge in real world applications due to the inter-user different EMG characteristics. Most previous transfer learning approaches employed a rigid model calibration process, usually in a supervised manner with ground truth labels, or in an unsupervised manner but still requiring users to perform pre-defined hand gestures to update model parameters. We argue that such a rigid model calibration process lacks flexibility and limit the translation of myoelectric control into real world practice. In this work, we gradually “flexibilize” the standard model calibration process toward a highly flexible version, which does not require the labels of calibration data, and can be performed on only a subset of pre-defined hand gestures or even unknown user-defined hand gestures. We identify those key components contributing to the performance difference along the way. Compared with the supervised method, the unsupervised model calibration even contributed to a 10% improvement (<inline-formula> <tex-math>${p}lt 0.05$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) in case where only a subset of gesture categories were available for model calibration. Moreover, the unsupervised model calibration achieved a highest recognition accuracy of 86.57% using unknown user-defined gestures, with no significant difference compared to the accuracy with pre-defined gestures (<inline-formula> <tex-math>${p}gt 0.05$ </tex-math></inline-formula>).","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"359-367"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Explainable AI-Guided Optimization of EMG Channels and Features for Precise Hand Gesture Classification: A SHAP-Based Study","authors":"Parul Rani;Sidharth Pancholi;Vikash Shaw;Suraj Pandey;Manfredo Atzori;Sanjeev Kumar","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504007","url":null,"abstract":"Extraction of the correct and efficient descriptors of muscular activity plays a vital role in tackling the challenging problem of myoelectric control of powered prostheses. This work presents a feature extraction framework that aims to enhance the representation of muscular activities by increasing the amount of information that can be extracted from individual and combined electromyogram (EMG) channels. The proposed method for feature selection is based on Shapley Additive explanations (SHAP). The SHAP value is used to reduce the feature dimension. The proposed approach has been evaluated on two datasets obtained at a sampling rate of 1 kHz through a band consisting of seven EMG channels. The Standard deviation (SD) and Integrated EMG (IEMG) of electrodes 3, 5, 6, and 7 recognized four motions with a classification accuracy of 98.42%±1.16% and six gestures with a classification accuracy of 96.6%±0.91%, respectively. In the present work, an ensemble technique called bagging in the random forest algorithm has been used to obtain the optimum results.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"368-376"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influence of Motion Restrictions in an Ankle Exoskeleton on Gait Kinematics and Stability in Straight Walking","authors":"Miha Dežman;Charlotte Marquardt;Adnan Üğür;Tobias Moeller;Tamim Asfour","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503896","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503896","url":null,"abstract":"Exoskeleton devices may impose kinematic constraints on a user’s motion and affect their stability due to added mass and inertia, but also due to the simplified mechanical design. This study explores the impact of kinematic constraints imposed by exoskeletons on user gait, stability, and perceived discomfort. Specifically, it examines how the varying degrees of freedom (DoF) in an ankle exoskeleton influence these factors. The exoskeleton utilized in this study can be configured to allow one, two, or three DoF, thereby simulating different levels of mechanical complexity and kinematic compatibility. A pilot study was conducted with six participants walking on a straight path to evaluate these effects. The findings indicate that increasing DoF of the exoskeleton improves several criteria, including kinematics and stability. In particular, the transition from 1 DoF to 2 DoF yielded a larger improvement than the transition from 2 DoF to 3 DoF, although the 3 DoF configuration produced the best overall results. Higher DoF configurations also resulted in stability values that resemble more closely those of walking without the exoskeleton, despite the added weight. Subjective feedback from participants corroborated these results, indicating the lowest discomfort with the 3 DoF ankle exoskeleton.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"114-122"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Design and Mathematical Modeling of a Novel Two-Degree-of-Freedom Robot-Assisted Cardiac Catheterization System","authors":"Naman Gupta;Dhruva Khanzode;Ranjan Jha","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503911","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503911","url":null,"abstract":"Cardiovascular diseases, driven by pollution and unhealthy lifestyle factors, are commonly treated with cardiac catheterization. However, this exposes medical staff to harmful X-ray radiation, leading to the development of robot-assisted catheterization systems for safer procedures. Despite their advantages, existing robotic systems are frequently complex and struggle with catheter maneuverability without a guidewire. This paper introduces a novel two-degree-of-freedom robot-assisted cardiac catheterization system, detailing its development, evaluation, and mathematical modeling. The system is designed for precise control of catheter motion through both translational and rotational movements, enhancing procedural efficiency and safety. We provide an in-depth analysis of deformation forces, stress, and strain characteristics based on catheter materials, supported by comprehensive mathematical modeling of applied forces and torques. Simulation results show that the system requires a torque of 1.870 Nm, a displacement of 0.089 m, and a velocity of 1.450 m/s for translational motion. For rotational motion, the system demands 0.915 Nm of torque, an angle of 5.102 rad, and an angular velocity of 88.735 rad/s. These results are validated against pre-existing models to confirm the system’s performance. The study concludes by presenting a three-dimensional (3D) model of the system, demonstrating its ability to improve the safety and precision of cardiac catheterization.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"230-241"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesco Missiroli;Francesco Ferrazzi;Enrica Tricomi;Maura Casadio;Lorenzo Masia
{"title":"Assistive Force Myography Controlled Exoglove","authors":"Francesco Missiroli;Francesco Ferrazzi;Enrica Tricomi;Maura Casadio;Lorenzo Masia","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503925","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503925","url":null,"abstract":"Wearable robotic devices like exosuits address mobility challenges in musculoskeletal disorders. While exoskeletons mainly aid in rehabilitation routines, lightweight exosuits provide a cost-effective solution, empowering individuals with motor disabilities in performing daily activities. Characterized by discreet, flexible designs, exosuits seamlessly integrate into daily routines, offering unobtrusive support and enhancing functional independence for those with mobility impairments. This research proposes a novel exoglove controlled via force-myography to restore grasping motor ability in individuals with partial loss of hand-motor function but retaining residual wrist movement. The exosuit aims to provide a tailored solution, offering cost-effective advantages over traditional exoskeletons. The proposed exoglove uses force myography to translate the user’s wrist movements into a motor command to assist grasping. Such an approach could ensure reliable and consistent control for people with partial or total loss of finger motion. With more than 89% accuracy in wrist movement classification, it can operate with minimal effort, moreover, the exoglove preserves natural finger motion, demonstrated by negligible muscle activity variations.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"27-32"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jake Kanetis;Michael A. Gonzalez;Alex K. Vaskov;Paul S. Cederna;Cynthia A. Chestek;Deanna H. Gates
{"title":"Assessing the Utility of Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces (RPNIs) in Providing Referred Sensations in a Functional Task in a Virtual Environment","authors":"Jake Kanetis;Michael A. Gonzalez;Alex K. Vaskov;Paul S. Cederna;Cynthia A. Chestek;Deanna H. Gates","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504001","url":null,"abstract":"Individuals who use upper limb prostheses receive limited feedback from their devices. Researchers have attempted to elicit sensation through direct stimulation of peripheral nerves or through stimulation of reinnervated skin or muscle. Previous research found that electrical stimulation of Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces (RPNIs) elicited sensations that were referred to the phantom hand. The purpose of this study was to determine if this sensation could be used to improve performance of a functional task. Two participants with upper limb loss completed the Box and Blocks Test in a virtual environment under four feedback conditions on a single day of testing. These conditions included no feedback, vibration triggered by object contact, and two conditions where RPNIs were electrically stimulated upon object contact. For the RPNI conditions, one was somatotopic, meaning the referred sensation and virtual sensor were collocated and the other was non-somatotopic, where the referred sensation and virtual sensor locations differed. Participants moved the most blocks when somatotopic feedback was provided. Both participants expressed a preference for the somatotopic sensation, noting that it made their movements feel more natural. Overall, this study demonstrates that RPNI-elicited sensation has the potential to improve functional performance.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"141-148"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Prashant K. Jamwal;Shyngys Dauletbayev;Daulet Sagidoldin;Darkhan Keikibayev;Aibek Niyetkaliyev;Shahid Hussain;Sunil K. Agrawal
{"title":"Design and Transparency Assessment of a Gait Rehabilitation Robot With Biomimetic Knee Joints","authors":"Prashant K. Jamwal;Shyngys Dauletbayev;Daulet Sagidoldin;Darkhan Keikibayev;Aibek Niyetkaliyev;Shahid Hussain;Sunil K. Agrawal","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3504002","url":null,"abstract":"Robotic exoskeletons are being increasingly used in clinics for the treatment of medicable disabilities. These exoskeletons, which closely couple with patients’ limbs, need to move in harmony with the endoskeleton motions. To achieve coordination, exoskeletons should be transparent; in other words, they should not interfere with natural human motion or their underlying coordination strategies. Transparency can be achieved through a bio-inspired exoskeleton design and also by implementing appropriate force control methods to maneuver exoskeleton motions. A new hybrid active-passive Gait Exoskeleton-Assisted Rehabilitation (GEAR) robot is presented here for the rehabilitation of lower limb disabilities. The GEAR robot is designed to enhance transparency incorporating a flexible hip joint and a biomimetic knee joint. The proposed GEAR robot also integrates a Remote Centered Motion (RCM) based passive mechanism to support torso and pelvic motions in two planes and features actuated exoskeleton legs in the sagittal plane for treadmill-assisted walking. The exoskeleton legs are actuated at their hip and knee joints using backdrivable actuators. To provide a natural walking experience, the hip joints of the exoskeleton legs offer two passive degrees of freedom in the frontal and transverse planes in addition to the actuated sagittal plane motion. The biomimetic design of the exoskeleton knee joint ensures alignment with the human anatomical knee joint by closely tracking the latter’s instantaneous center of rotation (ICR). To evaluate GEAR robot’s transparency, a comparative study was conducted, involving three healthy subjects. The participants walked freely on a treadmill and then with the GEAR robot operated first in a completely backdrivable (i.e., passive) mode and subsequently in an active mode. The sEMG data collected during these experiments were analyzed to assess robot’s transparency.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"290-302"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eisa Anwar;Sajeeva Abeywardena;Stuart C. Miller;Ildar Farkhatdinov
{"title":"How Robots Can Support Balancing in Healthy People","authors":"Eisa Anwar;Sajeeva Abeywardena;Stuart C. Miller;Ildar Farkhatdinov","doi":"10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503913","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2024.3503913","url":null,"abstract":"In manufacturing, construction, logistics, and other industrial tasks, human workers are required to handle and manipulate heavy loads such as loading packages in and out of warehouses, manipulating physical components on assembly lines, and more. However, repetitive manipulation of heavy loads can disrupt balance and lead to strains and injuries on the body, causing issues such as back pain. This concern is particularly significant in jobs involving awkward postures, e.g., aircraft and vehicle assembly and maintenance. To help address this challenge, we present a comprehensive scoping review examining robots capable of supporting physical balance in healthy individuals. Our analysis involved evaluating their capabilities, observing their functionality, and assessing their practicality. The majority of our findings (81%) were lower body exoskeletons, which, though highly mobile, can be constrained by slow control systems. Conversely, supernumerary robotic limbs and wearable gyroscopes allow unrestricted movement with less constrained control systems. Many experiments lack baseline comparisons without the robot, and some have limited participant recruitment, affecting representation. We recommend universally available testing procedures to effectively demonstrate and compare the capabilities of balance-supporting robots.","PeriodicalId":73318,"journal":{"name":"IEEE transactions on medical robotics and bionics","volume":"7 1","pages":"213-229"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}