The Ekso Research Paper

“Handicaps are really to be used another way to benefit yourself and others.” (Wonder). This type of technology has improved the life of many paraplegic patients. Improving their style of life through technological advances can be a tool they can use to help re-establish their lives in many ways. Although, is a great road ahead more and new researches are being done in order to help paraplegic patients manage the disease. For example in Kentucky for the first time in history and with the usage of a neurostimulator four young men who were paralyzed for several years were able to move their legs again. This progress was obtained through the usage of the electrical epidural stimulation of the spinal cord. This technology has helped and has given a new light at the end of tunnel and a new resource in the battle of this terrible condition.

This invention has given a chance for survivors to feel whole again giving them enough confidence to go back to their normal lives. Although the main purpose of this is for the disabled, it still has a significant contribution to the technology used in robotics, mainly because it allows engineers to understand how our body moves. An application of this technology can be seen with planetary rovers or deep sea submarines, where the purpose of it is to gather data from extreme environments. This science can also be further developed to create humanoid robots that can be used to push the boundaries of science and imagination revolutionizing how people

As I ventured through the human body in her class, I became more and more fascinated with the intricacies of it. The human body is truly marvelous. At one point in the year, Mrs. Branham assigned me a project on the nervous system. Even though the nervous system is complex, I did not find the difficulty of the information a problem because the system’s power captivated me. The fact that a three-pound mass of tissue can control every movement you make through a seemingly simple method astonished me. Through Mrs. Branham’s class, I acquired a passion for growing in my academic knowledge, specifically in

Transfemoral amputation, an amputation that occurs through the femur is one of the most frequently occurring type of amputation. Prosthetics or artificial limb is an effective way for the amputee to get back to her/his daily activities. However, the use of prosthetics have several problems. For instance, loss of muscle, incorrect gait behaviour and so on. Therefore, before one can design a comfortable socket for the amputees one should study the factors causing the discomfort. Studies reveal that it is the position of the residual femur that influences the socket design the most. Therefore, upon studying the motion of the residual limb one can design a suitable socket. To study the same a set of electronic sensors like pressure and force can

During the course of rehabilitation the patient is often seen by multiple therapists to help maximize the recovery process. “Occupational therapists and physical therapist who work with patients with spinal cord damages work closely together in order to prioritize the goals and treatment plans they have for the patient (Emerich,Lyn 2012)”. Assessing and documenting sensory and motor function is vital when working with spinal cord injury patients. “The assessment should include the patient’s voluntary and involuntary motor activity for all the muscle groups throughout their entire body (Emerich,Lyn 2012)”.when the therapist completes this assessment it allows them to identify appropriate and functional compensatory strategies and whether the

In the american society. Exoskeletons have impacted society by giving people a second chance to walk. A completely paralyzed man learned to re-walk after suffering a spinal cord injury. Everyone who was medically cleared walked in their first session. Berkeley college has made its own prototype exoskeleton. It’s comprised of two anamorphic legs, a power unit, and a backpack-like frame on which variety loads can be

The Ankle Foot Orthosis at the University of Delaware (AFOUD) contains 2-DOF (inversion/eversion and dorsiflexion/plantarflexion motion) using an actuator, a spring and a damper to steadily maintain appropriate foot position of patient \cite{agrawal2005}. The Knee-Ankle-Foot-Orthosis (KAFO) uses artificial pneumatic muscles being a powered orthosis in walking step \cite{sawicki2009}. The study of gait rehabilitation, human motor adaptation and locomotion energetics were previously done by their work of ankle-foot orthosis (AFO). The Robotic Gait Trainer (RGT) (Figure \ref{fig:rgt}) from the Arizona State University presented a walking device using a tripod mechanism

Gait impairment is a common but detrimental side effect from illnesses such as neurological disorders or strokes. It is important to find the most effective method of treatments for improving gait ability in patients who suffer with these issues. Robotic gait training has been suggested to be more effective than traditional physical therapy, but has not been around long enough for results to be centralized or publicized. The methodology included searching through a series of online databases for information relating to robotic gait training and neurological disorders/strokes. A total of 11 sources were compiled and then analyzed in the review of literature. The results showed a positive correlation between robotic therapy and gait rehabilitation,

All of us have wanted superpowers at some point in our lives; however, due to the current level of technology super-powers simply cannot be manufactured. This is not for lack of trying, though, as we here at RethosTech have made it our mission to create an affordable, portable exoskeleton available to the masses. After several years of prototyping, testing, and tweaking, we have come up with the Ethoskeleton, the harbinger of a new era of society. We put the Ethoskeleton together with Gold and Silver Age comic book superheroes in mind, with the final result being a versatile platform suitable for many tasks and functions. The Ethoskeleton is ideal for disaster relief and prevention work, but also equally suited

Mobility disorder caused by SCI or related illnesses in people have been on the increase in recent years (\citet*{chen2016recent}). To help alleviate the difficulties these people go through in other to carry out their day to day activities requires certain robotic devices. Wearable robotic systems such as lower limb exoskeletons do not only provide effective and repetitive gait training but also reduce the burden of physiotherapists. This is because it allows the integration of the human intelligence with that of the mechanical power of the robot. Among other applications these devices may be required for, gait rehabilitation and human locomotion assistance via exoskeleton is of great importance to people with lower limb disorders. For any

In order to accomplish this task, two (2) applications were considered. The first application seeks to drive the knee-ankle orthosis to follow a predefined rehabilitation trajectory with and without human contribution. To verify the level of contribution of the human the system may allow, a high gain observer is designed for this purpose. Although high gain observers as been extensively used for the recovery of states such as in (\citet*{wang2003observer}), here, the recovered states were employed to verify the level of human contribution. The stability of the closed-loop system without human contribution is verified using Lyapunov-based analysis. The convergence of the error between the states of the wearer-exoskeleton and that of the high gain observer is also analysed using Lyapunov stability theory.

An individual’s capacity to move is critical to carry out basic activities of daily living (ADL). Motion illnesses considerably minimize a patient’s quality of living. This can be caused by two ways- a) injuries in upper or lower extremities and b) problems in Central Nervous System (CNS-brain or spinal cord). Thanks to the improvements in technology so that new ways of treatments are available for the treatment of the seriously injured survivors especially from war. In addition and due to economic reasons, the period of primary therapy is getting shorter and shorter. These issues will probably intensity later on as longevity continues to increase coupled with the prevalence of both moderate and intense motor disabilities in the elderly population and consequently increasing their need of physical assistance. To prevent these problems, current research studies display a wide variety of products specifically assisting physical rehabilitation. Robotic devices with the capacity to perform repetitive tasks on patients are among these technically innovative devices. In fact, robotic devices are already applied in clinical practice as well as clinical evaluation for rehabilitation from TBI, injured upper or lower extremities and stroke survivors. However, considering the number of devices described in the literature, so far only a few of these have succeeded to affect the subject group [1].

We realize that after sustaining an injury, life changes. Doctor’s appointments, diagnostic tests and physical therapy treatments take precedent over all other activities. For these reasons, we strive to provide our patients with as many services and medical professionals possible at a single location: A Board Certified Emergency Physician, an Orthopedic Surgeon, a Board Certified Neurosurgeon, a Physiatrist/Pain

The goals of a device assistive to the rehabilitation process are to improve independent mobility, reduce disability, delay functional decline, decrease the burden of care and provide assessment tools for the medical community. Patients using assistive devices have reported improved confidence and feeling of safety resulting in increased activity levels and independence. Assistive devices such as canes, crutches, and walkers can be used to increase a patient's base of support, improve balance and increase activity and independence. Walkers are an important assistive device for people with difficulty of walking unassisted, helping them maintain mobility and continue an active lifestyle. An inactive lifestyle can lead to weakened motor skills,

Human Factors is about how humans interact to the different components of a system. In the field of robotic rehabilitation and prosthetic the system is possibly attached the the person opposed to external, in almost all other cases. There are numerous factors and components that have to be taken into account before the creation of a new prosthetic or rehabilitation device can begin. The approach that is taken today is mainly how to improve current prosthetic and robot use in the rehabilitation process for humans, the person that will be using the equipment does not really become a factor until the end of the process. Robotics and prosthetics should adjust to the person not the other way around. If the prosthetic and robotic rehabilitation process focused on the human person as much as they do creating and making innovative machines the whole process might go