Feedback Control of an Exoskeleton for Paraplegics: Toward Robustly Stable Hands-free Dynamic Walking

This manuscript presents control of a high-DOF fully actuated lower-limb exoskeleton for paraplegic individuals. The key novelty is the ability for the user to walk without the use of crutches or other external means of stabilization. We harness the power of modern optimization techniques and supervised machine learning to develop a smooth feedback control policy that provides robust velocity regulation and perturbation rejection. Preliminary evaluation of the stability and robustness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through the Gazebo simulation environment. In addition, preliminary experimental results with (complete) paraplegic individuals are included for the previous version of the controller.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Control System Magazine. This version addresses reviewers' concerns about the robustness of the algorithm and the motivation for using such exoskeleton

Feedback Control of an Exoskeleton for Paraplegics: Toward Robustly Stable, Hands-Free Dynamic Walking

"I will never forget the emotion of my first steps […]," were the words of Fran?oise, the first user during initial trials of the exoskeleton ATALANTE [1]. "I am tall again!" were the words of Sandy (the fourth user) after standing up in the exoskeleton. During these early tests, complete paraplegic patients dynamically walked up to 10 m without crutches or other assistance using a feedback control method originally invented for bipedal robots. As discussed in "Summary," this article describes the hardware (shown in Figure 1) that was designed to achieve hands-free dynamic walking, the control laws that were deployed (and those being developed) to provide enhanced mobility and robustness, and preliminary test results. In this article, dynamic walking refers to a motion that is orbitally stable as opposed to statically stable

Contribution à la commande des robots bipèdes

This thesis addresses the general problem of the walking control of biped robots. The foot of the robot in contact with the ground may tip over and cause the robot to be undercatuated. This is a major difficulty in term of control. This problem is addressed by considering planar biped robots with point feet.In a first part, we present a standard way of modeling such systems, a litterature review of the existing methods, and then report experimental results of the walking control of a biped robot using the HZD method.In a second part, we perform an analytic and numeric study of the relativekinetic energy dissipation when the foot of the robot impacts the ground. Usingthis study, we design trajectories with low energy dissipation at impact, which a priori result in gaits preserving the hardware of the robot and causing less noise. On the contrary, trajectories dissipating almost all the kinetic energy are used to quickly stop the robot.Finally, in an attempt to alleviate the burden due to underactuation, we proposeto investigate the additional degree of freedom provided, in the control design, by a change of time scale in the dynamic equations (Time-Scaling) for the considered class of biped robots. Using feedback transformations, we derive new exact and approximative normal forms.Cette thèse porte sur le développement de lois de commande pour la marche desrobots bipèdes. Le sous actionnement engendré par le basculement, volontaire ouinvolontaire, du pied en appui sur le sol représente une difficulté majeure. Nousabordons ce problème par l’étude de robots plans avec pieds ponctuels.La première partie de la thèse est une compilation des informations issuesde la littérature que nous avons jugées intéressantes. Nous traitons dans unpremier temps de la modélisation adoptée, puis effectuons une revue des différentesméthodes existantes, et présentons la mise en oeuvre expérimentale de l’une d’entre elle : la méthode HZD.Dans une deuxième partie, nous procédons à une étude de la dissipation relativede l’énergie cinétique du robot lorsque le pied impacte le sol. Nous utilisons les résultats issus de cette étude pour planifier des trajectoires de marche dissipant peu d’énergie. De telles trajectoires ont a priori le mérite de préserver la structure du robot et de générer moins de bruit. A contrario, des trajectoires dissipant la majorité de l’énergie du robot sont utilisées pour un arrêt rapide. Une étude numérique a montré que ces résultats sont robustes à des incertitudes de modèle.Enfin, dans une dernière partie, afin de compenser les difficultés liées au sousactionnement, nous proposons d’utiliser le degré de liberté supplémentaire offert par un changement de l’échelle de temps dans les équations de la dynamique (Time Scaling) pour la classe de robots considérée. En utilisant par ailleurs un changement de coordonnées et de feedback, nous dérivons de nouvelles formes normales exactes et approximatives

Contribution to the Control of Biped Robots

Cette thèse porte sur le développement de lois de commande pour la marche desrobots bipèdes. Le sous actionnement engendré par le basculement, volontaire ouinvolontaire, du pied en appui sur le sol représente une difficulté majeure. Nousabordons ce problème par l’étude de robots plans avec pieds ponctuels.La première partie de la thèse est une compilation des informations issuesde la littérature que nous avons jugées intéressantes. Nous traitons dans unpremier temps de la modélisation adoptée, puis effectuons une revue des différentesméthodes existantes, et présentons la mise en oeuvre expérimentale de l’une d’entre elle : la méthode HZD.Dans une deuxième partie, nous procédons à une étude de la dissipation relativede l’énergie cinétique du robot lorsque le pied impacte le sol. Nous utilisons les résultats issus de cette étude pour planifier des trajectoires de marche dissipant peu d’énergie. De telles trajectoires ont a priori le mérite de préserver la structure du robot et de générer moins de bruit. A contrario, des trajectoires dissipant la majorité de l’énergie du robot sont utilisées pour un arrêt rapide. Une étude numérique a montré que ces résultats sont robustes à des incertitudes de modèle.Enfin, dans une dernière partie, afin de compenser les difficultés liées au sousactionnement, nous proposons d’utiliser le degré de liberté supplémentaire offert par un changement de l’échelle de temps dans les équations de la dynamique (Time Scaling) pour la classe de robots considérée. En utilisant par ailleurs un changement de coordonnées et de feedback, nous dérivons de nouvelles formes normales exactes et approximatives.This thesis addresses the general problem of the walking control of biped robots. The foot of the robot in contact with the ground may tip over and cause the robot to be undercatuated. This is a major difficulty in term of control. This problem is addressed by considering planar biped robots with point feet.In a first part, we present a standard way of modeling such systems, a litterature review of the existing methods, and then report experimental results of the walking control of a biped robot using the HZD method.In a second part, we perform an analytic and numeric study of the relativekinetic energy dissipation when the foot of the robot impacts the ground. Usingthis study, we design trajectories with low energy dissipation at impact, which a priori result in gaits preserving the hardware of the robot and causing less noise. On the contrary, trajectories dissipating almost all the kinetic energy are used to quickly stop the robot.Finally, in an attempt to alleviate the burden due to underactuation, we proposeto investigate the additional degree of freedom provided, in the control design, by a change of time scale in the dynamic equations (Time-Scaling) for the considered class of biped robots. Using feedback transformations, we derive new exact and approximative normal forms

Feedback Linearization of the Transverse Dynamics for a Class of One Degree Underactuated Systems

International audienceThis paper investigates feedback linearization of one degree underactuated systems the mass matrix of which does not depend on the unactuated variable. We study the dynamics of such systems in a new time scale τ. In this new time scale, we exhibit a set of coordinates for which the dynamics transverse to a particular one-dimensional manifold is dynamic feedback linearizable. To this end, we design a relative degree three output with respect to one input and use dynamic extension. We then introduce a new motion planning algorithm for this class of systems

Repression of Cell Differentiation by a cis-Acting lincRNA in Fission Yeast.

The cell fate decision leading to gametogenesis requires the convergence of multiple signals on the promoter of a master regulator. In fission yeast, starvation-induced signaling leads to the transcriptional induction of the ste11 gene, which encodes the central inducer of mating and gametogenesis, known as sporulation. We find that the long intergenic non-coding (linc) RNA rse1 is transcribed divergently upstream of the ste11 gene. During vegetative growth, rse1 directly recruits a Mug187-Lid2-Set1 complex that mediates cis repression at the ste11 promoter through SET3C-dependent histone deacetylation. The absence of rse1 bypasses the starvation-induced signaling and induces gametogenesis in the presence of nutrients. Our data reveal that the remodeling of chromatin through ncRNA scaffolding of repressive complexes that is observed in higher eukaryotes is a conserved, likely very ancient mechanism for tight control of cell differentiation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Incidence of complications of herpes zoster in individuals on immunosuppressive therapy: A register-based population study

International audienceObjectives: Herpes zoster (HZ) exposes to alterations of the quality-of-life. HZ is more frequent in immunocompromised individuals, but whether immunosuppression is associated with a higher rate of complications is not well documented. We aimed to assess association between drug-induced immunosuppression and HZ complications. Methods: Data from a sample of the French healthcare claims from 01/01/2006 to 12/31/2018 were analyzed. Complicated zoster (CZ) was defined as a hospitalization with a code for HZ or the first-time dispensation of high-dose valacyclovir and specific neuralgia analgesics. Drug-induced immunosuppression was identified through medication dispensation. Risk ratios were calculated to compare incidences in exposed individuals (EI) and non-exposed to immunosuppressive therapy (NEI). Results: We identified 227 and 2838 CZ, accounting for an incidence of 178 per 100,000 person-year (95%CI[154.9–201.1]) and 51.7 per 100,000 person-year (95%CI[49.8–53.6]), in EI and NEI, respectively (risk ratio: 3.44 (95%CI[3.01–3.94]). Mean age was 66 years in both groups. CZ occurred after a median of 11.7 months (IQR[5.3–49.9]) of immunosuppressive therapy. Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) lasted at least 3 months in 32.6% and 22.5% of cases in EI and NEI, respectively (p=.01). Conclusions: Drug-induced immunosuppression increases the risk of CZ and exposes to longer-lasting PHN. Figures provided in this study could help guide prophylaxis of HZ

First Steps Towards Translating HZD Control of Bipedal Robots to Decentralized Controlof Exoskeletons

International audienceThis paper presents preliminary results toward translating gait and control design for bipedal robots to decentralized control of an exoskeleton aimed at restoring mobility to patients with lower limb paralysis, without the need for crutches. A mathematical hybrid dynamical model of the human-exoskeleton system is developed and a library of dynamically feasible periodic walking gaits for different walking speeds is found through nonlinear constrained optimization using the full-order dynamical system. These walking gaits are stabilized using a centralized (i.e., full-state information) hybrid zero dynamics-based controller, which is then decentralized (i.e., control actions use partial state information) so as to be implementable on the exoskeleton subsystem. A control architecture is then developed so as to allow the user to actively control the exoskeleton speed through his/her upper body posture. Numerical simulations are carried out to compare the two controllers. It is found that the proposed decentralized controller not only preserves the periodic walking gaits but also inherits the robustness to perturbations present in the centralized controller. Moreover, the proposed velocity regulation scheme is able to reach a steady state and track desired walking speeds under both, centralized, and decentralized schemes