In biomechanics, we create details models of human kinematic and dynamic properties of arms, hands, fingers, and legs. These models are needed to understand which properties of human movement are intrinsic---caused by muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones---and which are controlled by the nervous system. Our resulting models are used in the construction and control of novel robotic systems, including prosthetic hands and robotic arms and legs.
The use of surface electromyography (sEMG) for prosthetic control has been in place since the 1960's. We go a step further. On the one hand, we optimise the conditioning of the sEMG signal, and find new ways of relating it to limb movement. But we also look at different channels to control prosthetic and assistive robotic devices, including central nervous system implants.
In Machine Learning, we investigate methods to map high-dimensional non-linear data within a control process. Even though most of our data are related to the above fields of research, the methods we employ and develop are general methods, in which we combine deep belief networks with time sequence learning.
Limb rehabilitation and prosthetics are paramount applications of the techniques developed in biomimetic robotics. We focus upon human-computer interfaces to aid the disabled regain the lost limb functionality. In our view, both rehabilitation and prosthetics rely on re-establishing the sensori-motor loop with the missing limb. This includes both ways: feed-forward control by detecting the patient’s will to move and sensorial feedback by transducing digital readings to feelings.
Measuring intrinsic arm stiffness has been addressed in research the last 30 years but is still a big challenge that has not been solved yet. What has been measured so far is either reflex-affected or so-called lumped stiffness, combining inertial, damping and stiffness effects. The idea behind measuring intrinsic stiffness is to do a proper in-vivo analysis of the biomechanical system and to identify stiffness w.r.t. muscle activation for continuous stiffness measurements during movement.
In a collaboration with the startup company simplias GmbH, we are looking for a junior software developer who will work on the software "mobile field report" within the ASP.NET framework. Simplias' goal is to develop software for mobile working, and you can play a central role in this development.
We have built a new measurement setup for measuring human leg impedance, consisting of two linear motors and two force-torque sensors to perturb the human legs while standing on it. By also measuring muscular activity using surface EMG, we can find answers as to how human stabilise at different perturbation frequencies and which muscles influence this stance how. Initial proof-of-concept measurements have to be extended by setting up a model of the perturbed system, measuring joint positions and velocities, and so on. Measuring the position and the force plus EMG will allow us to analyse the behaviour of leg impedance within the spinal circuitry feedback loops.
You will develop a force feedback device to give a sense of touch back to hand prosthetic patients. The homunculus shows comparable sensitivity areas for the fingers and toes: essentially, toes have a coarsely comparable representation in the brain as fingers when it comes to skin sensitivity. Consequently, they seem to be ideal candidates to replace finger touch sensing for hand amputees.
Claudio Castellini
DLR: postdocprosthetics and rehabilitation
claudio.castellini
dlr
de, +49 8153 28-1093Agneta Gustus
DLR: PhD candidatehuman hand dynamics
Rachel Hornung
DLR: student (with medical robotics group)novelty detection with the Mica robot
rachel.hornung
dlrde
David Sierra González
DLR: Studentultrasound hand movement
david.sierragonzalez
dlrde, +49 8153 28-1056
Your name could be here
want to join our team? check out the positions on the left.
- Machine Learning lecture at TUM
- DLR Bionics group website
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics website
- TUM chair of Robotics and Embedded Systems
Below our 15 most recent publications. If you need more, follow the link. And note: All downloadable PDFs are for personal use only. Please do not redistribute.