Chair: Robert Gregg

Abstract:
A transition from powerful, bulky, and stiff jointed exoskeletons for driving the limbs of paralyzed individuals; to lightweight, highly backdrivable, partial assist exoskeletons for assisting broad populations with mild to moderate mobility impairments is well underway. However, this transition cannot be successfully completed without developing and in-vivo testing controllers that are versatile over multiple activities, clinically intuitive, and easily customizable based on each individual's unique needs. This dissertation is focused on providing solutions to this challenging set of requirements via four aims: 1) improving and later assessing the performance (and limitations) of existing “task-invariant" controllers implemented on various backdrivable exoskeletons, 2) developing and in-silico testing a novel bilateral knee controller for broad use cases, 3) performing in-vivo validation of the novel controller for lifting-lowering-carrying – a fatiguing and injury prone set of activities 4) exploring the customizability and benefits of the novel controller for meeting unique needs in highly impaired cases of post-polio-syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

https://umich.zoom.us/j/97645538054