945 research outputs found
Ground Robotic Hand Applications for the Space Program study (GRASP)
This document reports on a NASA-STDP effort to address research interests of the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) through a study entitled, Ground Robotic-Hand Applications for the Space Program (GRASP). The primary objective of the GRASP study was to identify beneficial applications of specialized end-effectors and robotic hand devices for automating any ground operations which are performed at the Kennedy Space Center. Thus, operations for expendable vehicles, the Space Shuttle and its components, and all payloads were included in the study. Typical benefits of automating operations, or augmenting human operators performing physical tasks, include: reduced costs; enhanced safety and reliability; and reduced processing turnaround time
Spatial patterns of cutaneous vibration during whole-hand haptic interactions
We investigated the propagation patterns of cutaneous vibration in the hand during interactions with touched objects. Prior research has highlighted the importance of vibrotactile signals during haptic interactions, but little is known of how vibrations propagate throughout the hand. Furthermore, the extent to which the patterns of vibrations reflect the nature of the objects that are touched, and how they are touched, is unknown. Using an apparatus comprised of an array of accelerometers, we mapped and analyzed spatial distributions of vibrations propagating in the skin of the dorsal region of the hand during active touch, grasping, and manipulation tasks. We found these spatial patterns of vibration to vary systematically with touch interactions and determined that it is possible to use these data to decode the modes of interaction with touched objects. The observed vibration patterns evolved rapidly in time, peaking in intensity within a few milliseconds, fading within 20–30 ms, and yielding interaction-dependent distributions of energy in frequency bands that span the range of vibrotactile sensitivity. These results are consistent with findings in perception research that indicate that vibrotactile information distributed throughout the hand can transmit information regarding explored and manipulated objects. The results may further clarify the role of distributed sensory resources in the perceptual recovery of object attributes during active touch, may guide the development of approaches to robotic sensing, and could have implications for the rehabilitation of the upper extremity
A neural model of hand grip formation during reach to grasp
In this paper, we investigate the spatio
temporal dynamics of hand pre-shaping during
prehension through a biologically plausible neural
network model. It is proposed that the hand grip
formation in prehension con be understood in terms of
basic motor programs that can be resealed both spatially
and temporally to accommodate different task demands.
The model assumes a timing coordinative role to
propioceptive reafferent information generated by the
reaching component of the movement, moidiiig the need
of a pre-organized firnctional temporal structure for the
timing of prehension as some previous models have
proposed. Predictions of the model in both Normal and
Altered initial hand aperture conditions match key
kinematic features present in human data. The differences
between the proposed model and previous models
predictions are used to tiy to identifi the majorprinciples
underlying prehensile behavior
Design, development and deployment of a hand/wrist exoskeleton for home-based rehabilitation after stroke - SCRIPT project
YesChanges in world-wide population trends have provided new demands for new technologies in areas
such as care and rehabilitation. Recent developments in the the field of robotics for neurorehabilitation
have shown a range of evidence regarding usefulness of these technologies as a tool to augment
traditional physiotherapy. Part of the appeal for these technologies is the possibility to place a
rehabilitative tool in one’s home, providing a chance for more frequent and accessible technologies
for empowering individuals to be in charge of their therapy.
Objective: this manuscript introduces the Supervised Care and Rehabilitation Involving Personal
Tele-robotics (SCRIPT) project. The main goal is to demonstrate design and development steps
involved in a complex intervention, while examining feasibility of using an instrumented orthotic
device for home-based rehabilitation after stroke.
Methods: the project uses a user-centred design methodology to develop a hand/wrist
rehabilitation device for home-based therapy after stroke. The patient benefits from a dedicated
user interface that allows them to receive feedback on exercise as well as communicating with
the health-care professional. The health-care professional is able to use a dedicated interface
to send/receive communications and remote-manage patient’s exercise routine using provided
performance benchmarks. Patients were involved in a feasibility study (n=23) and were instructed to
use the device and its interactive games for 180 min per week, around 30 min per day, for a period of
6 weeks, with a 2-months follow up. At the time of this study, only 12 of these patients have finished
their 6 weeks trial plus 2 months follow up evaluation.
Results: with the “use feasibility” as objective, our results indicate 2 patients dropping out due
to technical difficulty or lack of personal interests to continue. Our frequency of use results indicate
that on average, patients used the SCRIPT1 device around 14 min of self-administered therapy a day.
The group average for the system usability scale was around 69% supporting system usability.
Conclusions: based on the preliminary results, it is evident that stroke patients were able to use the
system in their homes. An average of 14 min a day engagement mediated via three interactive games
is promising, given the chronic stage of stroke. During the 2nd year of the project, 6 additional games
with more functional relevance in their interaction have been designed to allow for a more variant context for interaction with the system, thus hoping to positively influence the exercise duration.
The system usability was tested and provided supporting evidence for this parameter. Additional
improvements to the system are planned based on formative feedback throughout the project and
during the evaluations. These include a new orthosis that allows a more active control of the amount
of assistance and resistance provided, thus aiming to provide a more challenging interaction.This work has been partially funded under Grant FP7-ICT-288698(SCRIPT) of the European Community Seventh Framework Programme
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