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Home of the Neurorehabilitation Robotics and Engineering Group

Newsletter – Dec. 2021

NEWSLETTER

CENTER FOR
REHABILITATION ROBOTICS

Issue 1 – Monday, 6th December 2021

LATEST NEWS

A photograph of the Head of Center, Lotte Struijk, giving her opening presentation at the opening seminar for the Center of Rehabilitation Robotics.

CENTER FOR REHABILITATION ROBOTICS – OPENING SEMINAR

(English)

It was a great day when we were able to hold the opening seminar for the Center for Rehabilitation Robotics. A total of 91 were registered and the participants gave a good reflection of the Center’s vision to facilitate interdisciplinary research in – and development of – rehabilitation robotics. Thus, there were e.g., both users, therapists, doctors, researchers, and several companies among the participants, who came from 5 different countries (Italy, Germany, Sweden, Japan and Denmark) and many different universities and clinical organizations. We are very happy for this great support, and it was a big and memorable day with very exciting presentations and demonstrations. The day ended with a live feature on TV2 News / TV2 North, which can be found here: https://www.tv2nord.dk/aalborg/nu-kan-lammede-styre-robotarm-med-tungen.

We created a picture gallery from the day which you can browse by following this link: https://rerob.aau.dk/?page_id=522.

We will send information about center activities to the center network that was established in connection with the registration for the center opening, where there are now approximately 80 members, and it is as a member that you have now received this newsletter. Further registrations for the network can be made via the Center’s website in VBN (https://vbn.aau.dk/da/organisations/center-for-rehabilitation-robotics). In addition, you can follow the daily activities in several of the center’s projects via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/neurorehabilitation-engineering-and-robotics/).

Thank you very much for your great support at the Center opening!

(Dansk)

Det var en stor dag da vi kunne holde åbningsseminar for Center for Rehabiliteringsrobotik. I alt var 91 tilmeldt og deltagerne gav en god refleksion af Centerets vision om at facilitere tværvidenskabelig forskning i -og udvikling af- rehabiliteringsrobotik. Således var der bla. både brugere, terapeuter, læger, forskere og adskillelige virksomheder blandt deltagerne, som kom fra 5 forskellige lande (Italien, Tyskland, Sverige, Japan og Danmark) og mange forskellige universiteter og kliniske organisationer. Vi er meget glade for denne store opbakning og det blev en stor og mindeværdig dag med meget spændende oplæg og demonstrationer. Dagen blev afsluttet med et direkte indslag til TV2 News/TV2 Nord der kan findes her: https://www.tv2nord.dk/aalborg/nu-kan-lammede-styre-robotarm-med-tungen.

Og vi har lavet et billedgalleri fra dagen der kan findes på dette link: link: https://rerob.aau.dk/?page_id=522.

Vi vil sende information om center aktiviteter til centernetværket der blev etableret i forbindelse med tilmeldingen til centeråbningen, hvor der nu er ca. 80 medlemmer, og det er som medlem at du nu har modtaget dette nyhedsbrev. Yderligere tilmeldinger til netværket kan ske via Centerets hjemmeside i VBN (https://vbn.aau.dk/da/organisations/center-for-rehabilitation-robotics). Og derudover kan man følge de daglige aktiviteter i flere af centerets projekter via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/neurorehabilitation-engineering-and-robotics/).

Mange tak for jeres store opbakning ved Centeråbningen!

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates on our projects.

Intelligent Hybrid Light Weight Tendon Based Exoskeleton for Severely Disabled Individuals

 CENTER CORE PROJECT 

(English)

In the center project, we have focused on establishing a user panel which now has 13 members. In addition, we have worked with various methods to design a lightweight exoskeleton and have also found a 3D printer that will be able to meet the requirements that we have for the new exoskeleton materials, including carbon. It will be used to print parts for the new exoskeleton, where we have just found a new solution to open the exoskeleton glove. We are currently investigating how we can best measure the brain signal that should help control the exoskeleton and therefore we will test different electrodes. Furthermore, we have recently had the first pilot tests done on a primitive non-invasive tongue control system to be used for the control of the exoskeleton.

Read more about it here

(Dansk)

I centerprojektet har vi fokuseret på at få etableret et brugerpanel som nu har 13 medlemmer. Dertil har vi arbejdet med forskellige metoder til at designe et letvægts eksoskelet og har endvidere fundet frem til en 3D printer, der vil kunne opfylde de karv, som vi har til det nye exoskelet-materialer, herunder kulstof. Den skal bruges til at printe dele til det nye exoskelet, hvor vi lige har fundet en ny løsning til at åbne exoskelethandsken. Vi nu ved at undersøge hvordan vi bedst kan måle det hjernesignal, der skal være med til at styre exoskelettet og derfor vil vi teste forskellige elektroder. Endvidere har vi for nyligt fået lavet de første pilottest at et primitivt ikke-invasivt tungestyrringssystem, der skal bruges til styringen af exoskelettet.

Læs mere her

ROBERT-SAS: BRIDGING
THE GAP BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA

 ROBERT-SAS 

(English)

We embrace collaborations with industry, such as the EU project where CRERoB are collaborating with Life Science Robotics to develop the rehabilitation robotic system ROBERT-SAS, a surface-electromyography-triggered functional-electrical-stimulation-based hybrid robotic lower limb neurorehabilitation system. The newest version of the ROBERT-SAS system was sent to our partner Roessingh Research and Development in the Netherlands recently, where new functionalities will be tested with stroke patients in the coming months. At CRERoB at AAU, development has continued to improve upon the system, and the trials are ongoing.

(Dansk)

Vi samarbejder med industrien som i EU-projektet ROBERT-SAS, hvor CRERoB samarbejder med Life Science Robotics om at udvikle det rehabiliteringsrobot-system ROBERT-SAS, som er et hybrid-robotsystem til neurorehabilitering af underbenet via. Funktionel elektrisk stimulation (FES) udløst af  patientens svage muskelsignaler. Den nyeste version af ROBERT-SAS-systemet blev for nylig sendt til vores partner, Roessingh Research and Development i Holland, hvor nye funktionaliteter vil blive testet med stroke-patienter i de kommende måneder. Ved  CRERoB på AAU fortsætter udviklingen for at optimere systemet, og der gennemføres i øjeblikket forsøg.

EYES-FREE TONGUE CONTROL OF UPPER-LIMB EXOSKELETON

 EXOTIC 

(English)

We have finalized analyzing the test results from able-bodied users using the EXOTIC to drink and eat snacks. All test participants were able to tongue control the system that provides continuous and direct control of all exoskeleton degrees of freedom (DOF) in a single control mode. The EXOTIC project was concluded on December 1st 2021 and will serve as a platform for the core project of CRERoB. Further scientific details on the study can be found in the newly accepted article titled “Eyes-free tongue gesture and tongue joystick control of a five DOF upper-limb exoskeleton for severely disabled individuals”. We are analyzing the results from the user test which were performed in collaboration with Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark.

(Dansk)

Er vi færdige med at analysere testresultaterne fra testdeltagere uden funktionsnedsættelser, der brugte EXOTIC til at drikke og spise snacks. Alle testdeltagere var i stand til at tungestyre systemet, der giver kontinuerlig og direkte kontrol af alle eksoskelettets frihedsgrader (DOF) uden at skulle bruge en menu til at vælge kommandoer. EXOTIC-projektet blev afsluttet den 1. december 2021 og vil fungere som en platform for kerneprojektet i CRERoB. Yderligere detaljer om undersøgelsen kan findes i den nyligt accepterede artikel med titlen ” Eyes-free tongue gesture and tongue joystick control of a five DOF upper-limb exoskeleton for severely disabled individuals “. Vi analyserer lige nu resultaterne fra brugertesten, som er udført i samarbejde med Rygmarvsskadecenter Vestdanmark

ADAPTING TO ALS PROGRESSION: CLINICAL TRIALS UNDERWAY

 MULTIROB 

(English)

In the Multirob project, test studies have been started with participants diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Multirob mainly focuses on Multimodal control of assistive robotic arms for severely disabled individuals. Different control modalities such as Electromyography (EMG), tongue and brain control will be tested to check how they can be combined to best assist the individual user and adapt to the progression of the disease.

(Dansk)

I Multirob projektet har vi opstart teststudier med deltagere, der er diagnosticeret med Amyotrofisk Lateral Sclerose (ALS). Multirob fokuserer primært på multimodal styring af robotarme til hjælp for svært handicappede personer. Forskellige kontrolmodaliteter såsom elektromyografi (EMG), tunge- og hjernekontrol vil blive afprøvet for at undersøge, hvordan de kan kombineres for at hjælpe den enkelte bruger bedst muligt og tilpasse sig sygdommens udvikling.

NEW HORIZONS FOR TONGUE CONTROL: INTRODUCING iARM

 ITOOBOT 

(English)

In the iTooBot project, we started to work with the control of the robotic arm “iARM”. This robot is manufactured by Assistive Innovation, originally founded in The Netherlands. We are testing the functionality of the robotic arm to develop a stand-alone device allowing for tongue control, iTooBot. At CRERoB, it began with replacing the standard joystick. Our work on software development has a focus on the mapping of tongue interfaces for control.

(Dansk)

Vi er begyndt at arbejde med styringen af robotarmen “iARM”. Denne robot er fremstillet af Assistive Innovation, der er fra Holland. Vi tester robotarmens funktionalitet med henblik på at udvikle en selvstændig enhed, iTooBot, der giver mulighed for tungekontrol. På CRERoB begyndte det med at erstatte standardjoysticket. Vores arbejde med softwareudvikling har fokus på kortlægning af tungeinterfaces til styring.