Human-Machine Interfaces using Distributed Sensing and Stimulation Systems

As the technology moves towards more natural human-machine interfaces (e.g. bionic limbs, teleoperation, virtual reality), it is necessary to develop a sensory feedback system in order to foster embodiment and achieve better immersion in the control system. Contemporary feedback interfaces presented in research use few sensors and stimulation units to feedback at most two discrete feedback variables (e.g. grasping force and aperture), whereas the human sense of touch relies on a distributed network of mechanoreceptors providing a wide bandwidth of information. To provide this type of feedback, it is necessary to develop a distributed sensing system that could extract a wide range of information during the interaction between the robot and the environment. In addition, a distributed feedback interface is needed to deliver such information to the user. This thesis proposes the development of a distributed sensing system (e-skin) to acquire tactile sensation, a first integration of distributed sensing system on a robotic hand, the development of a sensory feedback system that compromises the distributed sensing system and a distributed stimulation system, and finally the implementation of deep learning methods for the classification of tactile data. It\u2019s core focus addresses the development and testing of a sensory feedback system, based on the latest distributed sensing and stimulation techniques. To this end, the thesis is comprised of two introductory chapters that describe the state of art in the field, the objectives, and the used methodology and contributions; as well as six studies that tackled the development of human-machine interfaces

Configuring Corporeality: Performing bodies, vibrations and new musical instruments.

How to define the relationship of human bodies, sound and technological instruments in musical performance? This enquiry investigates the issue through an iterative mode of research. Aesthetic and technical insights on sound and body art performance with new musical instruments combine with analytical views on technological embodiment in philosophy and cultural studies. The focus is on corporeality: the physiological, phenomenological and cultural basis of embodied practices. The thesis proposes configuration as an analytical device and a blueprint for artistic creation. Configuration defines the relationship of the human being and technology as one where they affect each other's properties through a continuous, situated negotiation. In musical performance, this involves a performer's intuition, cognition, and sensorimotor skills, an instrument's material, musical and computational properties, and sound's vibrational and auditive qualities. Two particular kinds of configuration feature in this enquiry. One arises from an experiment on the effect of vibration on the sensorimotor system and is fully developed through a subsequent installation for one visitor at a time. The other emerges from a scientific study of gesture expressivity through muscle physiological sensing and is consolidated into an ensuing body art performance for sound and light. Both artworks rely upon intensely intimate sensorial and physical experiences, uses and abuses of the performer's body and bioacoustic sound feedback as a material force. This work contends that particular configurations in musical performance reinforce, alter or disrupt societal criteria against which human bodies and technologies are assessed. Its contributions are: the notion of configuration, which affords an understanding of human-machine co-dependence and its politics; two sound-based artworks, joining and expanding musical performance and body art; two experiments, and their hardware and software tools, providing insights on physiological computing methods for corporeal human-computer interaction

A virtual hand assessment system for efficient outcome measures of hand rehabilitation

Previously held under moratorium from 1st December 2016 until 1st December 2021.Hand rehabilitation is an extremely complex and critical process in the medical rehabilitation field. This is mainly due to the high articulation of the hand functionality. Recent research has focused on employing new technologies, such as robotics and system control, in order to improve the precision and efficiency of the standard clinical methods used in hand rehabilitation. However, the designs of these devices were either oriented toward a particular hand injury or heavily dependent on subjective assessment techniques to evaluate the progress. These limitations reduce the efficiency of the hand rehabilitation devices by providing less effective results for restoring the lost functionalities of the dysfunctional hands. In this project, a novel technological solution and efficient hand assessment system is produced that can objectively measure the restoration outcome and, dynamically, evaluate its performance. The proposed system uses a data glove sensorial device to measure the multiple ranges of motion for the hand joints, and a Virtual Reality system to return an illustrative and safe visual assistance environment that can self-adjust with the subject’s performance. The system application implements an original finger performance measurement method for analysing the various hand functionalities. This is achieved by extracting the multiple features of the hand digits’ motions; such as speed, consistency of finger movements and stability during the hold positions. Furthermore, an advanced data glove calibration method was developed and implemented in order to accurately manipulate the virtual hand model and calculate the hand kinematic movements in compliance with the biomechanical structure of the hand. The experimental studies were performed on a controlled group of 10 healthy subjects (25 to 42 years age). The results showed intra-subject reliability between the trials (average of crosscorrelation ρ = 0.7), inter-subject repeatability across the subject’s performance (p > 0.01 for the session with real objects and with few departures in some of the virtual reality sessions). In addition, the finger performance values were found to be very efficient in detecting the multiple elements of the fingers’ performance including the load effect on the forearm. Moreover, the electromyography measurements, in the virtual reality sessions, showed high sensitivity in detecting the tremor effect (the mean power frequency difference on the right Vextensor digitorum muscle is 176 Hz). Also, the finger performance values for the virtual reality sessions have the same average distance as the real life sessions (RSQ =0.07). The system, besides offering an efficient and quantitative evaluation of hand performance, it was proven compatible with different hand rehabilitation techniques where it can outline the primarily affected parts in the hand dysfunction. It also can be easily adjusted to comply with the subject’s specifications and clinical hand assessment procedures to autonomously detect the classification task events and analyse them with high reliability. The developed system is also adaptable with different disciplines’ involvements, other than the hand rehabilitation, such as ergonomic studies, hand robot control, brain-computer interface and various fields involving hand control.Hand rehabilitation is an extremely complex and critical process in the medical rehabilitation field. This is mainly due to the high articulation of the hand functionality. Recent research has focused on employing new technologies, such as robotics and system control, in order to improve the precision and efficiency of the standard clinical methods used in hand rehabilitation. However, the designs of these devices were either oriented toward a particular hand injury or heavily dependent on subjective assessment techniques to evaluate the progress. These limitations reduce the efficiency of the hand rehabilitation devices by providing less effective results for restoring the lost functionalities of the dysfunctional hands. In this project, a novel technological solution and efficient hand assessment system is produced that can objectively measure the restoration outcome and, dynamically, evaluate its performance. The proposed system uses a data glove sensorial device to measure the multiple ranges of motion for the hand joints, and a Virtual Reality system to return an illustrative and safe visual assistance environment that can self-adjust with the subject’s performance. The system application implements an original finger performance measurement method for analysing the various hand functionalities. This is achieved by extracting the multiple features of the hand digits’ motions; such as speed, consistency of finger movements and stability during the hold positions. Furthermore, an advanced data glove calibration method was developed and implemented in order to accurately manipulate the virtual hand model and calculate the hand kinematic movements in compliance with the biomechanical structure of the hand. The experimental studies were performed on a controlled group of 10 healthy subjects (25 to 42 years age). The results showed intra-subject reliability between the trials (average of crosscorrelation ρ = 0.7), inter-subject repeatability across the subject’s performance (p > 0.01 for the session with real objects and with few departures in some of the virtual reality sessions). In addition, the finger performance values were found to be very efficient in detecting the multiple elements of the fingers’ performance including the load effect on the forearm. Moreover, the electromyography measurements, in the virtual reality sessions, showed high sensitivity in detecting the tremor effect (the mean power frequency difference on the right Vextensor digitorum muscle is 176 Hz). Also, the finger performance values for the virtual reality sessions have the same average distance as the real life sessions (RSQ =0.07). The system, besides offering an efficient and quantitative evaluation of hand performance, it was proven compatible with different hand rehabilitation techniques where it can outline the primarily affected parts in the hand dysfunction. It also can be easily adjusted to comply with the subject’s specifications and clinical hand assessment procedures to autonomously detect the classification task events and analyse them with high reliability. The developed system is also adaptable with different disciplines’ involvements, other than the hand rehabilitation, such as ergonomic studies, hand robot control, brain-computer interface and various fields involving hand control

ISMCR 1994: Topical Workshop on Virtual Reality. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Measurement and Control in Robotics

This symposium on measurement and control in robotics included sessions on: (1) rendering, including tactile perception and applied virtual reality; (2) applications in simulated medical procedures and telerobotics; (3) tracking sensors in a virtual environment; (4) displays for virtual reality applications; (5) sensory feedback including a virtual environment application with partial gravity simulation; and (6) applications in education, entertainment, technical writing, and animation

Exploitation of haptic renderings to communicate risk levels of falling

Falls represent a major cause of injury that could lead to death. This observation is even more accentuated in the elderly. Indeed, with aging comes some deterioration (gait disturbances, balance disorders, and sensory motor impairments) that may lead to falls. The research project presented in this thesis is focused on the problem of reducing the risk level of falling. This study proposes a solution for the communication of haptic information to reduce the risk of falling. This solution is part of the design of a haptic communication system in a controlled environment. This new system introduces the notion of haptic perception through the communication of information by touch using the foot, which the literature does not generally mention. For the design of this system, we first studied the use of tactile stimuli to evaluate the possibility of communicating a risk level through a haptic modality. Then, having hypothesized that some factors could influence the communication of stimuli representing the risk levels of falling, we conducted a second study to evaluate the effect of auditory disturbances during the communication of these stimuli. Third, to determine whether the user had the necessary time to act after the perception of the risk level, we analyzed a variation of the simple reaction time when walking on different types of soil. These results encouraged us to do a fourth assessment of reaction time using a new device coupled with a smartphone that can be positioned at different locations on the body. Several experiments have been done to validate each of the steps. With this, we can now communicate a risk level of falling to users through the haptic channel using an active device and easily differentiable stimuli. In addition, we can evaluate auditory factors during such a haptic perception. Finally, we can evaluate the physiological characteristics of the users (response time) while seated and while walking on different types of soil. Les chutes représentent une cause majeure de blessures pouvant entraîner la mort. Cette observation est encore plus accentuée chez les personnes âgées. En effet, avec le vieillissement, certaines détériorations (troubles de la démarche, troubles de l’équilibre, troubles sensorimoteurs) peuvent entraîner des chutes. Le projet de recherche présenté dans cette thèse fait partie du problème de la réduction du risque de chute. En particulier, cette étude propose une solution au problème de la réduction du risque de chute par la perception haptiques. Cette solution intègre la conception d’un système de communication haptique dans un environnement contrôlé. Ce nouveau système introduit la notion de perception haptique à travers la communication de l’information par le toucher avec le pied, que la littérature ne mentionne généralement pas. Pour cela nous avons d’abord étudié l’utilisation de stimuli tactiles pour évaluer la possibilité de communiquer un niveau de risque par la modalité haptique. Puis, ayant émis l’hypothèse que certains facteurs pourraient influencer la communication de ces stimuli, nous avons mené une deuxième étude pour évaluer l’impact des perturbations auditives lors de la perception haptique du niveau de risque. Troisièmement, afin de savoir si l’utilisateur avait le temps nécessaire pour agir après la perception du niveau de risque, nous avons analysé la variation du temps de réaction simple en marchant sur différents types de sols. Les résultats obtenus dans cette dernière étude nous ont motivé à faire une quatrième évaluation du temps de réaction mais en utilisant un nouveau dispositif couplé à un smartphone qui peut être positionné à différents endroits du corps. Plusieurs expériences ont été réalisées pour valider chacune des étapes. Avec toutes ces études, nous pouvons maintenant communiquer aux utilisateurs un niveau de risque à travers le canal haptique en utilisant un dispositif actif et des stimuli facilement différentiables. En outre, nous pouvons évaluer les facteurs externes (auditifs) au cours d’une telle perception haptique. Enfin, nous pouvons évaluer les caractéristiques physiologiques des utilisateurs (temps de réponse) en position assise et en marchant sur différents types de sols

Smart Sensors for Healthcare and Medical Applications

This book focuses on new sensing technologies, measurement techniques, and their applications in medicine and healthcare. Specifically, the book briefly describes the potential of smart sensors in the aforementioned applications, collecting 24 articles selected and published in the Special Issue “Smart Sensors for Healthcare and Medical Applications”. We proposed this topic, being aware of the pivotal role that smart sensors can play in the improvement of healthcare services in both acute and chronic conditions as well as in prevention for a healthy life and active aging. The articles selected in this book cover a variety of topics related to the design, validation, and application of smart sensors to healthcare

Proceedings of the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics 2015

This volume contains the full papers accepted for presentation at the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics 2015 held in the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, on June 29 - July 2, 2015. The ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics is an international meeting held once every two years in a European country. Continuing the very successful series of past conferences that have been organized in Lisbon (2003), Madrid (2005), Milan (2007), Warsaw (2009), Brussels (2011) and Zagreb (2013); this edition will once again serve as a meeting point for the international researchers, scientists and experts from academia, research laboratories and industry working in the area of multibody dynamics. Applications are related to many fields of contemporary engineering, such as vehicle and railway systems, aeronautical and space vehicles, robotic manipulators, mechatronic and autonomous systems, smart structures, biomechanical systems and nanotechnologies. The topics of the conference include, but are not restricted to: ● Formulations and Numerical Methods ● Efficient Methods and Real-Time Applications ● Flexible Multibody Dynamics ● Contact Dynamics and Constraints ● Multiphysics and Coupled Problems ● Control and Optimization ● Software Development and Computer Technology ● Aerospace and Maritime Applications ● Biomechanics ● Railroad Vehicle Dynamics ● Road Vehicle Dynamics ● Robotics ● Benchmark ProblemsPostprint (published version