Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523636
O. Piccin, J. Sieffert, F. Schmitt, L. Barbé, L. Meylheuc, F. Nageotte, B. Bayle
Robotized assistance has been developing constantly in interventional radiology. The recent availability of several commercial systems for treatment planning and needle automatic positioning has even boosted this development. In this paper, we focus on the design of a device dedicated to needle manipulation, a function not included in the available systems. This device is a tool which could be adapted to existing robots, in order to enable them to grasp and insert needles. It is compact and mostly built from polymer parts to cope with the constraints of X-Ray imaging. Each subsystem of the device is separately presented and the system is assessed in order to characterize needle insertion, force measurement, and grasping capabilities.
{"title":"Design and characterization of a novel needle insertion tool","authors":"O. Piccin, J. Sieffert, F. Schmitt, L. Barbé, L. Meylheuc, F. Nageotte, B. Bayle","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523636","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523636","url":null,"abstract":"Robotized assistance has been developing constantly in interventional radiology. The recent availability of several commercial systems for treatment planning and needle automatic positioning has even boosted this development. In this paper, we focus on the design of a device dedicated to needle manipulation, a function not included in the available systems. This device is a tool which could be adapted to existing robots, in order to enable them to grasp and insert needles. It is compact and mostly built from polymer parts to cope with the constraints of X-Ray imaging. Each subsystem of the device is separately presented and the system is assessed in order to characterize needle insertion, force measurement, and grasping capabilities.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116191587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523603
R. Secoli, F. Baena
Needle steering systems have shown potential advantages in minimally invasive surgery in soft-tissue due to their ability to reach deep-seated targets while avoiding obstacles. In general, the control strategies employed to drive the insertion use simplified kinematic models, providing limited control of the trajectory between an entry site and a deep seated target in cases of unmodelled tissue-needle dynamics. In this work, we present the first Adaptive Path-Following (APF) controller for a bio-inspired multi-part needle, able to steer along three-dimensional (3D) paths within a compliant medium by means of the cyclical motion of interlocked segments and without the need for duty-cycle spinning along the insertion axis. The control strategy is outlined in two parts: a high-level controller, which provides driving commands to follow a predefined 3D path smoothly; and a low-level controller, able to counteract unmodelled tissue-needle nonlinearities and kinematic model uncertainties. A simulation that mimics the needle's mechanical behavior during insertion is achieved by using an Experimental Fitting Model (EFM), obtained from previous experimental trials. The Simulation results demonstrate the robustness and adaptability of the proposed control strategy.
{"title":"Adaptive path-following control for bio-inspired steerable needles","authors":"R. Secoli, F. Baena","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523603","url":null,"abstract":"Needle steering systems have shown potential advantages in minimally invasive surgery in soft-tissue due to their ability to reach deep-seated targets while avoiding obstacles. In general, the control strategies employed to drive the insertion use simplified kinematic models, providing limited control of the trajectory between an entry site and a deep seated target in cases of unmodelled tissue-needle dynamics. In this work, we present the first Adaptive Path-Following (APF) controller for a bio-inspired multi-part needle, able to steer along three-dimensional (3D) paths within a compliant medium by means of the cyclical motion of interlocked segments and without the need for duty-cycle spinning along the insertion axis. The control strategy is outlined in two parts: a high-level controller, which provides driving commands to follow a predefined 3D path smoothly; and a low-level controller, able to counteract unmodelled tissue-needle nonlinearities and kinematic model uncertainties. A simulation that mimics the needle's mechanical behavior during insertion is achieved by using an Experimental Fitting Model (EFM), obtained from previous experimental trials. The Simulation results demonstrate the robustness and adaptability of the proposed control strategy.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125654686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523732
M. Chua, Lim Jeong Hoon, R. C. Yeow
This paper presents the design and evaluation of a soft-robotic exoskeleton, RARD, for the rehabilitation of arthritis affected individuals with laterally deformed fingers due to Heberden's nodes and Bouchard's nodes. The exoskeleton operates using two 3D-printed soft pneumatic elastomeric actuators that are flexible to conform to the curvature of the deformity when not pressurized. Upon pressurization, the actuators can generate sufficient force to overcome the stiffness of the deformed fingers to realign them straight, allowing for progressive rehabilitation. Experimental study was performed on the designed pneumatic actuators to characterize its maximum bending force output from the pressure input. Additionally, the effectiveness of the exoskeleton was evaluated using a human mannequin hand with the simulated deformity. The soft-robotic exoskeleton has been demonstrated to be a promising rehabilitative device for treating laterally deformed digits on the hands.
{"title":"Design and evaluation of Rheumatoid Arthritis rehabilitative Device (RARD) for laterally bent fingers","authors":"M. Chua, Lim Jeong Hoon, R. C. Yeow","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523732","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523732","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents the design and evaluation of a soft-robotic exoskeleton, RARD, for the rehabilitation of arthritis affected individuals with laterally deformed fingers due to Heberden's nodes and Bouchard's nodes. The exoskeleton operates using two 3D-printed soft pneumatic elastomeric actuators that are flexible to conform to the curvature of the deformity when not pressurized. Upon pressurization, the actuators can generate sufficient force to overcome the stiffness of the deformed fingers to realign them straight, allowing for progressive rehabilitation. Experimental study was performed on the designed pneumatic actuators to characterize its maximum bending force output from the pressure input. Additionally, the effectiveness of the exoskeleton was evaluated using a human mannequin hand with the simulated deformity. The soft-robotic exoskeleton has been demonstrated to be a promising rehabilitative device for treating laterally deformed digits on the hands.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125782609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523602
Zhuoqi Cheng, B. Davies, D. Caldwell, L. Mattos
Vascular access is frequently required for patients admitted to hospitals. This requires a delicate process of intravenous (IV) catheterization that, as opposed to common believe, suffers from a high failure rate typically close to 30%. In case of special patients such as infants, the elderly, and people with diabetes or other health conditions that affect blood vessels, the challenge to achieve intravenous access is higher, leading to an even lower venipuncture success rate. Stopping the needle before the first vein wall or going completely through the vein are the common causes of failure, and can potentially cause severe damage to the soft tissue. In this study we propose a new robotic system to improve the venipuncture procedure. The system is based on a high resolution motion stage and a new detection system able to measure the electrical impedance of tissue around the IV needle tip. This detection system allows the discrimination of the different tissue types accessed during the insertion process, and a fast and robust detection of vein entry by detecting blood. This paper presents the design and development of this new robot-assisted venipuncture system. Experiments in realistic phantoms were designed and undertaken for the system's evaluation, which also demonstrated the effective performance of the proposed venipuncture detection system.
{"title":"A venipuncture detection system for robot-assisted intravenous catheterization","authors":"Zhuoqi Cheng, B. Davies, D. Caldwell, L. Mattos","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523602","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523602","url":null,"abstract":"Vascular access is frequently required for patients admitted to hospitals. This requires a delicate process of intravenous (IV) catheterization that, as opposed to common believe, suffers from a high failure rate typically close to 30%. In case of special patients such as infants, the elderly, and people with diabetes or other health conditions that affect blood vessels, the challenge to achieve intravenous access is higher, leading to an even lower venipuncture success rate. Stopping the needle before the first vein wall or going completely through the vein are the common causes of failure, and can potentially cause severe damage to the soft tissue. In this study we propose a new robotic system to improve the venipuncture procedure. The system is based on a high resolution motion stage and a new detection system able to measure the electrical impedance of tissue around the IV needle tip. This detection system allows the discrimination of the different tissue types accessed during the insertion process, and a fast and robust detection of vein entry by detecting blood. This paper presents the design and development of this new robot-assisted venipuncture system. Experiments in realistic phantoms were designed and undertaken for the system's evaluation, which also demonstrated the effective performance of the proposed venipuncture detection system.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132417165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523670
Francesca Sorgini, Rohan Ghosh, Justus F. Hübotter, R. Caliò, C. Galassi, C. Oddo, S. Kukreja
During the last decade significant advances have been made in vibrotactile actuator design that are leading to the development of novel haptic technologies. Similarly, important innovations have been made in the area of virtual reality for scene rendering and user tracking. However, the integration of these technologies has not been well explored. In this paper, we outline a broad design philosophy and integration plan of these tools. In addition, we give an overview of applications for such a cohesive set of technologies. Preliminary results are provided to demonstrate their critical importance and future widespread use.
{"title":"Design and preliminary evaluation of haptic devices for upper limb stimulation and integration within a virtual reality cave","authors":"Francesca Sorgini, Rohan Ghosh, Justus F. Hübotter, R. Caliò, C. Galassi, C. Oddo, S. Kukreja","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523670","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523670","url":null,"abstract":"During the last decade significant advances have been made in vibrotactile actuator design that are leading to the development of novel haptic technologies. Similarly, important innovations have been made in the area of virtual reality for scene rendering and user tracking. However, the integration of these technologies has not been well explored. In this paper, we outline a broad design philosophy and integration plan of these tools. In addition, we give an overview of applications for such a cohesive set of technologies. Preliminary results are provided to demonstrate their critical importance and future widespread use.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131176677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523737
M. L. Delva, C. Menon
Activity counting has demonstrated strong correlations to recovery before and after stroke rehabilitation. However, there are only moderate to poor correlations with movement specific features (such as timing and repetition) that are significant to stroke rehabilitation, allowing room for improvement. This paper explores the physical meaning of an accelerometric based activity count, by using a precise tri-axial accelerometer and tri-axial gyroscope during tasks based on selected activities of daily living (ADLs). The impact of processing algorithms and sensor choice were also considered. Nine healthy participants performed a series of free-world upper extremity movement tasks modelled after ADLs as well as tasks constrained by speed and direction. Raw gyroscope and accelerometer data were linearly regressed with medically graded actigraphy bands for comparison. The results demonstrated that wrist motion during upper extremity tasks had similar distributions of data across all planes and axes of motion. The results also highlighted that processing algorithms based on mean and median epoched data were more sensitive (p <; 0.05) to differences in planes and axes of motion, but that variance based methods presented lower root-mean-square-errors (RMSE) errors when linearly regressed with medically graded technology. The findings from this study help to better understand inertial patterns of upper extremity rehabilitation based tasks and physical interpretations of activity count measures.
{"title":"Inertial characteristics of upper extremity motions in upper extremity stroke rehabilitation based tasks","authors":"M. L. Delva, C. Menon","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523737","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523737","url":null,"abstract":"Activity counting has demonstrated strong correlations to recovery before and after stroke rehabilitation. However, there are only moderate to poor correlations with movement specific features (such as timing and repetition) that are significant to stroke rehabilitation, allowing room for improvement. This paper explores the physical meaning of an accelerometric based activity count, by using a precise tri-axial accelerometer and tri-axial gyroscope during tasks based on selected activities of daily living (ADLs). The impact of processing algorithms and sensor choice were also considered. Nine healthy participants performed a series of free-world upper extremity movement tasks modelled after ADLs as well as tasks constrained by speed and direction. Raw gyroscope and accelerometer data were linearly regressed with medically graded actigraphy bands for comparison. The results demonstrated that wrist motion during upper extremity tasks had similar distributions of data across all planes and axes of motion. The results also highlighted that processing algorithms based on mean and median epoched data were more sensitive (p <; 0.05) to differences in planes and axes of motion, but that variance based methods presented lower root-mean-square-errors (RMSE) errors when linearly regressed with medically graded technology. The findings from this study help to better understand inertial patterns of upper extremity rehabilitation based tasks and physical interpretations of activity count measures.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131102708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523810
H. Huang, Tao Li, C. Bruschini, C. Enz, V. M. Koch, Jorn Justiz, Christian Antfolk
To improve the dexterity of multi-functional myoelectric prosthetic hand, more accurate hand gesture recognition based on surface electromyographic (sEMG) signal is needed. This paper evaluates two types of time-domain EMG features, one independent feature and one combined feature including four features. The selected features from eight subjects with 13 finger movements were tested with four decomposed multi-class support vector machines (SVM), four decomposed linear discriminant analyses (LDA) and a multi-class LDA. The classification accuracy, training, and classification time are compared. The results have shown that the combined features decrease error rate, and binary tree based decomposition multiclass classifiers yield the highest classification success rate (88.2%) with relatively low training and classification time.
{"title":"EMG pattern recognition using decomposition techniques for constructing multiclass classifiers","authors":"H. Huang, Tao Li, C. Bruschini, C. Enz, V. M. Koch, Jorn Justiz, Christian Antfolk","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523810","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523810","url":null,"abstract":"To improve the dexterity of multi-functional myoelectric prosthetic hand, more accurate hand gesture recognition based on surface electromyographic (sEMG) signal is needed. This paper evaluates two types of time-domain EMG features, one independent feature and one combined feature including four features. The selected features from eight subjects with 13 finger movements were tested with four decomposed multi-class support vector machines (SVM), four decomposed linear discriminant analyses (LDA) and a multi-class LDA. The classification accuracy, training, and classification time are compared. The results have shown that the combined features decrease error rate, and binary tree based decomposition multiclass classifiers yield the highest classification success rate (88.2%) with relatively low training and classification time.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127854948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523623
Yue Hu, F. Nori, K. Mombaur
In the recent version of the iCub humanoid robot of the Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Series Elastic Actuators (SEA) have been introduced in the knee and ankle pitch joints. As a first step of motion generation for the iCub we analyze the squat motion by means of model based optimal control. The model of the robot has been reduced to 3 DOF on the sagittal plane. The full dynamics of the robot including the elasticity is taken into account. Motions have been generated using different sets of objective functions, such as minimization of joint torques, joint accelerations, mechanical work, squat range. The results have been tested on the iCub of Heidelberg University (HeiCub), a reduced version of the standard iCub without head and arms, with 21 DOF, of which 15 actuated DOF.
{"title":"Squat motion generation for the humanoid robot iCub with Series Elastic Actuators","authors":"Yue Hu, F. Nori, K. Mombaur","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523623","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523623","url":null,"abstract":"In the recent version of the iCub humanoid robot of the Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Series Elastic Actuators (SEA) have been introduced in the knee and ankle pitch joints. As a first step of motion generation for the iCub we analyze the squat motion by means of model based optimal control. The model of the robot has been reduced to 3 DOF on the sagittal plane. The full dynamics of the robot including the elasticity is taken into account. Motions have been generated using different sets of objective functions, such as minimization of joint torques, joint accelerations, mechanical work, squat range. The results have been tested on the iCub of Heidelberg University (HeiCub), a reduced version of the standard iCub without head and arms, with 21 DOF, of which 15 actuated DOF.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134640351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523608
Nathanael J. Rake, S. Skinner, Gavin D. O'Mahony, J. Schultz
This article presents a prototype robotic finger that has more human-like functionality than other simplified robotic fingers but is more manufacturable than efforts to directly copy human anatomy. A mathematical model that captures the relationship between joint angles and tendon excursions for the finger's simplified flexor and extensor systems is developed. The model is tested experimentally and shown to have good fidelity over the majority of the finger's workspace. The model also provides unique insight into the relationship between the finger's bone structure and tendon arrangements that is absent in other works.
{"title":"Modeling and implementation of a simplified human tendon structure in a robotic finger","authors":"Nathanael J. Rake, S. Skinner, Gavin D. O'Mahony, J. Schultz","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523608","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523608","url":null,"abstract":"This article presents a prototype robotic finger that has more human-like functionality than other simplified robotic fingers but is more manufacturable than efforts to directly copy human anatomy. A mathematical model that captures the relationship between joint angles and tendon excursions for the finger's simplified flexor and extensor systems is developed. The model is tested experimentally and shown to have good fidelity over the majority of the finger's workspace. The model also provides unique insight into the relationship between the finger's bone structure and tendon arrangements that is absent in other works.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114870448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-26DOI: 10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523785
Dimitri Ryczko, R. Thandiackal, A. Ijspeert
An important topic in designing neuroprosthetic devices for animals or patients with spinal cord injury is to find the right brain regions with which to interface the device. In vertebrates, an interesting target could be the reticulospinal (RS) neurons, which play a central role in locomotor control. These brainstem cells convey the locomotor commands to the spinal locomotor circuits that in turn generate the complex patterns of muscle contractions underlying locomotor movements. The RS neurons receive direct input from the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region (MLR), which controls locomotor initiation, maintenance, and termination, as well as locomotor speed. In addition, RS neurons convey turning commands to the spinal cord. In the context of interfacing neural networks and robotic devices, we explored in the present study whether the activity of salamander RS neurons could be used to control off-line, but in real time, locomotor speed and direction of a salamander robot. Using a salamander semi-intact preparation, we first provide evidence that stimulation of the RS cells on the left or right side evokes ipsilateral body bending, a crucial parameter involved during turning. We then identified the RS activity corresponding to these steering commands using calcium (Ca2+) imaging of RS neurons in an isolated brain preparation. Then, using a salamander robot controlled by a spinal cord model, we used the ratio of RS Ca2+ signals on left and right sides to control locomotion direction by modulating body bending. Moreover, we show that the robot locomotion speed can be controlled based on the amplitude of the Ca2+ response of RS cells, which is controlled by MLR stimulation strength as recently demonstrated in salamanders.
{"title":"Interfacing a salamander brain with a salamander-like robot: Control of speed and direction with calcium signals from brainstem reticulospinal neurons","authors":"Dimitri Ryczko, R. Thandiackal, A. Ijspeert","doi":"10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523785","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2016.7523785","url":null,"abstract":"An important topic in designing neuroprosthetic devices for animals or patients with spinal cord injury is to find the right brain regions with which to interface the device. In vertebrates, an interesting target could be the reticulospinal (RS) neurons, which play a central role in locomotor control. These brainstem cells convey the locomotor commands to the spinal locomotor circuits that in turn generate the complex patterns of muscle contractions underlying locomotor movements. The RS neurons receive direct input from the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region (MLR), which controls locomotor initiation, maintenance, and termination, as well as locomotor speed. In addition, RS neurons convey turning commands to the spinal cord. In the context of interfacing neural networks and robotic devices, we explored in the present study whether the activity of salamander RS neurons could be used to control off-line, but in real time, locomotor speed and direction of a salamander robot. Using a salamander semi-intact preparation, we first provide evidence that stimulation of the RS cells on the left or right side evokes ipsilateral body bending, a crucial parameter involved during turning. We then identified the RS activity corresponding to these steering commands using calcium (Ca2+) imaging of RS neurons in an isolated brain preparation. Then, using a salamander robot controlled by a spinal cord model, we used the ratio of RS Ca2+ signals on left and right sides to control locomotion direction by modulating body bending. Moreover, we show that the robot locomotion speed can be controlled based on the amplitude of the Ca2+ response of RS cells, which is controlled by MLR stimulation strength as recently demonstrated in salamanders.","PeriodicalId":235222,"journal":{"name":"2016 6th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116936871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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