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TeachingSoftware USC
August 2008 |
Research Modeling and Control of movement in neural prostheses My current research involves the modeling and control of movement neural prostheses for paralyzed and amputee patients. My main goal is to develop neural prostheses that can operate in synchrony with the patients' central nervous system and residual movement to restore life-like movements to the affected limbs. For the latest information on my current research activities, please visit MDDF. Development of General Software for Modeling and Simulation of Neural Prostheses Because of the limitations in current modeling software, researchers who are interested in modeling and simulation of the control of movement, must spend a great deal of time and effort to develop accurate musculoskeletal models. Over the years, I have developed general musculoskeletal modeling software to enable modelers to build accurate musculoskeletal models faster. To learn more and to download these software click here. Development of Indoor Rowing Machine for Total Body Exercise in Paraplegia In this project we modified a Concept 2 indoor rowing machine for use by paraplegic patients. This is a total body exercise that helps to improve the health and fitness of a population who spend most of their time on wheelchair and have limited opportunities for exercise. To exercise, paraplegic patient uses his/her intact upper body to voluntarily perform the upper body part of the rowing maneuver. The FES controller in turn applies electrical stimulation to the paralyzed muscles of the legs to make them perform the lower extremity part of the rowing maneuver. I have designed several control strategies to coordinate the voluntary movements of the upper body with the FES movements of the lower extremity. This coordination is essential for successful and smooth rowing exercise. Related publications are here. Modeling and Control of FES assisted Standing up in Paraplegia Standing up exercise has many health benefits to the paralyzed individuals and is a precursor to many daily activities such as walking and reaching to objects in the environment. The main objective of this project was to develop FES controllers for the paralyzed lower extremity that can cooperate with the voluntary movement of the upper body to successfully perform the standing up maneuver in paralyzed patients. I investigated several model-free control methods that can learn by trial-and-error interactions with the patient including Genetic Algorithms and Reinforcement Learning methods. Related publications are here. |