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Baines R, Zuliani F, Chennoufi N, Joshi S, Kramer-Bottiglio R, Paik J. Multi-modal deformation and temperature sensing for context-sensitive machines. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7499. [PMID: 37980333 PMCID: PMC10657382 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42655-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Owing to the remarkable properties of the somatosensory system, human skin compactly perceives myriad forms of physical stimuli with high precision. Machines, conversely, are often equipped with sensory suites constituted of dozens of unique sensors, each made for detecting limited stimuli. Emerging high degree-of-freedom human-robot interfaces and soft robot applications are delimited by the lack of simple, cohesive, and information-dense sensing technologies. Stepping toward biological levels of proprioception, we present a sensing technology capable of decoding omnidirectional bending, compression, stretch, binary changes in temperature, and combinations thereof. This multi-modal deformation and temperature sensor harnesses chromaticity and intensity of light as it travels through patterned elastomer doped with functional dyes. Deformations and temperature shifts augment the light chromaticity and intensity, resulting in a one-to-one mapping between stimulus modes that are sequentially combined and the sensor output. We study the working principle of the sensor via a comprehensive opto-thermo-mechanical assay, and find that the information density provided by a single sensing element permits deciphering rich and diverse human-robot and robot-environmental interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Baines
- School of Engineering & Applied Science, Yale University, 9 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IGM RRL MED 1 2313 Station 9, Vaud, 1025, Switzerland
| | - Fabio Zuliani
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IGM RRL MED 1 2313 Station 9, Vaud, 1025, Switzerland
| | - Neil Chennoufi
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IGM RRL MED 1 2313 Station 9, Vaud, 1025, Switzerland
| | - Sagar Joshi
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IGM RRL MED 1 2313 Station 9, Vaud, 1025, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio
- School of Engineering & Applied Science, Yale University, 9 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Jamie Paik
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IGM RRL MED 1 2313 Station 9, Vaud, 1025, Switzerland.
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Tao Q, Liu S, Zhang J, Jiang J, Jin Z, Huang Y, Liu X, Lin S, Zeng X, Li X, Tao G, Chen H. Clinical applications of smart wearable sensors. iScience 2023; 26:107485. [PMID: 37636055 PMCID: PMC10448028 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Smart wearable sensors are electronic devices worn on the body that collect, process, and transmit various physiological data. Compared to traditional devices, their advantages in terms of portability and comfort have made them increasingly important in the medical field. This review takes a unique clinical physician's standpoint, diverging from conventional sensor-type-based classifications, and provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse clinical applications of wearable sensors in recent years. In this review, we categorize these applications according to different diseases, encompassing skin diseases and injuries, cardiovascular diseases, abnormal human motion, as well as endocrine and metabolic disorders. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and perspectives hindering the development of sensors for clinical use, emphasizing the critical need for interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and engineering professionals. Overall, this review would serve as an important reference for the future direction of sensor devices in clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxiao Tao
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Suwen Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jingyu Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, China
- Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Jian Jiang
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Zilin Jin
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yuqiong Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Shiying Lin
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- Department of Dermatology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, China
| | - Xuemei Li
- Department of Dermatology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, China
| | - Guangming Tao
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Hongxiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Department of Dermatology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, China
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Bardi E, Gandolla M, Braghin F, Resta F, Pedrocchi ALG, Ambrosini E. Upper limb soft robotic wearable devices: a systematic review. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2022; 19:87. [PMID: 35948915 PMCID: PMC9367113 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-022-01065-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Soft robotic wearable devices, referred to as exosuits, can be a valid alternative to rigid exoskeletons when it comes to daily upper limb support. Indeed, their inherent flexibility improves comfort, usability, and portability while not constraining the user's natural degrees of freedom. This review is meant to guide the reader in understanding the current approaches across all design and production steps that might be exploited when developing an upper limb robotic exosuit. METHODS The literature research regarding such devices was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The investigated features are the intended scenario, type of actuation, supported degrees of freedom, low-level control, high-level control with a focus on intention detection, technology readiness level, and type of experiments conducted to evaluate the device. RESULTS A total of 105 articles were collected, describing 69 different devices. Devices were grouped according to their actuation type. More than 80% of devices are meant either for rehabilitation, assistance, or both. The most exploited actuation types are pneumatic (52%) and DC motors with cable transmission (29%). Most devices actuate 1 (56%) or 2 (28%) degrees of freedom, and the most targeted joints are the elbow and the shoulder. Intention detection strategies are implemented in 33% of the suits and include the use of switches and buttons, IMUs, stretch and bending sensors, EMG and EEG measurements. Most devices (75%) score a technology readiness level of 4 or 5. CONCLUSION Although few devices can be considered ready to reach the market, exosuits show very high potential for the assistance of daily activities. Clinical trials exploiting shared evaluation metrics are needed to assess the effectiveness of upper limb exosuits on target users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Bardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Marta Gandolla
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesco Braghin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Ferruccio Resta
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Emilia Ambrosini
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Perez-Guagnelli E, Jones J, D. Damian D. Hyperelastic Membrane Actuators: Analysis of Toroidal and Helical Multifunctional Configurations. CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS 2022; 2022:9786864. [PMID: 36285311 PMCID: PMC9494722 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9786864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Technologies that provide mechanical assistance are required in the medical field, such as implants that regenerate tissue through elongation and stimulation. One of the challenges is to develop actuators that combine the benefits of high axial extension at low pressures, modularity, multifunction, and load-bearing capabilities into one design while maintaining their shape and softness. Overcoming such a challenge will provide implants with enhanced capacity for mechanical assistance to induce tissue regeneration. We introduce two novel actuators (M2H) built of stacked Hyperelastic Ballooning Membrane Actuators (HBMAs) that can be realized using helical and toroidal configurations. By restraining the HBMA expansion deterministically using a semisoft exoskeleton, the actuators are endowed with axial extension and radial expansion capabilities. These actuators are thus built of modules that can be configured to different therapeutical needs and multifunctionality, to provide anatomically congruent stimulation. We present the design, fabrication, testing, and numerical and experimental validation of the M2H-HBMAs. They can axially extend up to 41% and 32% in their helical and toroidal configurations at input pressures as low as 26 and 24 kPa, respectively. If the axial extension module is used separately, its extension capacity reaches >170%. The M2H-HBMAs can perform independent and simultaneous expansion and extension motions with negligible intraluminal deformation as well as stand at least 1 kg of axial force without collapsing. The M2H-HBMAs overcome the limitations of hyperexpanding machines that show low resistance to load. We envisage M2H-HBMAs as promising tools to perform tissue regeneration procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joanna Jones
- Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK
| | - Dana D. Damian
- Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK
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Lu Z, Zhu Y, Jia C, Zhao T, Bian M, Jia C, Zhang Y, Mao Y. A Self-Powered Portable Flexible Sensor of Monitoring Speed Skating Techniques. BIOSENSORS 2021; 11:108. [PMID: 33916920 PMCID: PMC8067624 DOI: 10.3390/bios11040108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
With the development of 5G technology, contemporary technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data analyses have been widely applied to the sport industry. This paper focuses on the design of a portable, self-powered, flexible sensor, which does not require an external power supply. The sensor is capable of monitoring speed skating techniques, thereby helping professional athletes to enhance their performance. This sensor mainly consists of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) with polarization after a silvering electrode and a flexible polyester substrate. Flexible sensors are attached to the push-off joint part of speed skaters and the ice skate blade. During motion, it produces different piezoelectricity signals depending on the states of motion. The monitoring and analyzing of the real-time sensor signals will adjust the athlete's skating angle, frequency, and push-off techniques, thus improving user training and enhancing performance. Moreover, the production of piezoelectric signals can charge the capacitor, provide power for small electronic equipment (e.g., wireless device), and extend the applications of wearable flexible sensors to the Big Data and IoT technologies in the sport industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Lu
- School of Physical Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yongsheng Zhu
- Physical Education Department, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Changjun Jia
- Physical Education Department, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Tianming Zhao
- College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Meiyue Bian
- Physical Education Department, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Chaofeng Jia
- School of Physical Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yiqiao Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yupeng Mao
- School of Physical Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
- Physical Education Department, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
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Vélez-Guerrero MA, Callejas-Cuervo M, Mazzoleni S. Artificial Intelligence-Based Wearable Robotic Exoskeletons for Upper Limb Rehabilitation: A Review. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21062146. [PMID: 33803911 PMCID: PMC8003246 DOI: 10.3390/s21062146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Processing and control systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) have progressively improved mobile robotic exoskeletons used in upper-limb motor rehabilitation. This systematic review presents the advances and trends of those technologies. A literature search was performed in Scopus, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, and PubMed using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology with three main inclusion criteria: (a) motor or neuromotor rehabilitation for upper limbs, (b) mobile robotic exoskeletons, and (c) AI. The period under investigation spanned from 2016 to 2020, resulting in 30 articles that met the criteria. The literature showed the use of artificial neural networks (40%), adaptive algorithms (20%), and other mixed AI techniques (40%). Additionally, it was found that in only 16% of the articles, developments focused on neuromotor rehabilitation. The main trend in the research is the development of wearable robotic exoskeletons (53%) and the fusion of data collected from multiple sensors that enrich the training of intelligent algorithms. There is a latent need to develop more reliable systems through clinical validation and improvement of technical characteristics, such as weight/dimensions of devices, in order to have positive impacts on the rehabilitation process and improve the interactions among patients, teams of health professionals, and technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Andrés Vélez-Guerrero
- Software Research Group, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja 150002, Colombia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +57-320-820-6832
| | - Mauro Callejas-Cuervo
- School of Computer Science, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja 150002, Colombia;
| | - Stefano Mazzoleni
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy;
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Contreras-González AF, Ferre M, Sánchez-Urán MÁ, Sáez-Sáez FJ, Blaya Haro F. Efficient Upper Limb Position Estimation Based on Angular Displacement Sensors for Wearable Devices. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20226452. [PMID: 33198097 PMCID: PMC7696256 DOI: 10.3390/s20226452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Motion tracking techniques have been extensively studied in recent years. However, capturing movements of the upper limbs is a challenging task. This document presents the estimation of arm orientation and elbow and wrist position using wearable flexible sensors (WFSs). A study was developed to obtain the highest range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder with as few sensors as possible, and a method for estimating arm length and a calibration procedure was proposed. Performance was verified by comparing measurement of the shoulder joint angles obtained from commercial two-axis soft angular displacement sensors (sADS) from Bend Labs and from the ground truth system (GTS) OptiTrack. The global root-mean-square error (RMSE) for the shoulder angle is 2.93 degrees and 37.5 mm for the position estimation of the wrist in cyclical movements; this measure of RMSE was improved to 13.6 mm by implementing a gesture classifier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo-Francisco Contreras-González
- Centro de Automática y Robótica (CAR) UPM-CSIC, ETS Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; (A.-F.C.-G.); (M.F.); (F.J.S.-S.)
| | - Manuel Ferre
- Centro de Automática y Robótica (CAR) UPM-CSIC, ETS Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; (A.-F.C.-G.); (M.F.); (F.J.S.-S.)
| | - Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Urán
- Centro de Automática y Robótica (CAR) UPM-CSIC, ETS Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; (A.-F.C.-G.); (M.F.); (F.J.S.-S.)
- ETS Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ronda de Valencia, 3, 28012 Madrid, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Francisco Javier Sáez-Sáez
- Centro de Automática y Robótica (CAR) UPM-CSIC, ETS Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; (A.-F.C.-G.); (M.F.); (F.J.S.-S.)
| | - Fernando Blaya Haro
- ETS Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ronda de Valencia, 3, 28012 Madrid, Spain;
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