Results

Prototypes

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Journal articles

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Conference proceedings

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Presentations

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Posters

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Workshops

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XoSoft prototypes

The first prototype of the system (Alpha) was developed using existing technologies and was divided in separate modules for sensing and actuation. In particular, some of the modules were still using hard technologies for actuation and soft technologies for sensing.

The Beta 1 prototype was the first to include soft technologies to integrate sensing and actuation on the garment. The garment of the Beta 1 prototype was fitted to the subject and enabled actuation of the hip and knee flexion (unilateral) with a quasi-passive actuation system, using an electromagnetic clutch connected to an elastic band through a bowden cable. Different technologies were evaluated to measure the user’s motion (insole sensors, IMUs and capacitive sensors in knee and ankle).

The Beta 2 prototype represented a big step towards a complete soft system. The actuation system was replaced by a novel type of quasi passive actuation based on elastic bands and custom made pneumatic soft clutches. The new design of the garment enabled a high degree of configuration of the system, with the possibility to assist the flexion/extension of the hip, flexion/extension of the knee and dorsi/plantar flexion of the ankle, in any configuration (including unilateral and bilateral), with a maximum of 8 simultaneous actuators. The sensory system was an evolution of the one present in the Beta 1 prototype, with important developments in the control system.

 

Finally, the Gamma prototype further improved the XoSoft design, with important changes in the garment and optimisation of the pneumatic system. One of the main changes in the Gamma garment design was the ability to adjust it to a wider variety of persons. The Gamma prototype was classified as a medical device Class I, passing all the conformity tests required by the pertinent regulations.

 

Different versions of the connected monitoring system, and feedback to the different types of users, were integrated with the different prototypes. The full-connected system is easily adaptable to different situations, is able to monitor, store, analyse and evaluate XoSoft data.

Scientific publications

Journal Articles

  • Di Natali, C., Poliero, T., Sposito, M., Graf, E., et al. (2019). Design and Evaluation of a Soft Assistive Lower Limb Exoskeleton. Robotica, 1-21. DOI:10.1017/S0263574719000067.
  • Ortiz, J., Poliero, T., Cairoli, G., Graf, E., & Caldwell, D. G. (2018). Energy Efficiency Analysis and Design Optimization of an Actuation System in a Soft Modular Lower Limb Exoskeleton. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 3.1. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2017.2768119
  • Kermavnar, T., Power, V., de Eyto, A., & O’Sullivan, L.W. (2018). Computerized cuff pressure algometry as guidance for circumferential tissue compression for wearable soft robotic applications: A systematic review. Soft Robotics, 5, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2017.0046
  • Shore, L., Power, V., de Eyto, A. & O’Sullivan, L.W. (2018). Technology Acceptance and User Centered Design of Exoskeletons for Older Age Adults. Robotics, 7, 3-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics7010003
  • Tavares, C., Domingues, M.F., Frizera-Neto, A., Leite, T., Leitão, C., Alberto, N., Marques, C., Radwan, A., Rocon, E., André, P., & Antunes, P.  (2018). Gait Shear and Plantar Pressure Monitoring: A Non-Invasive OFS Based Solution for e-Health Architectures. Sensors, 18, 1334. DOI: 10.3390/s18051334
  • Domingues, M.F., Tavares, C., Leitão, C., Frizera-Neto, A., Alberto, N., Marques, C., Radwan, A., Rodriguez, J., Postolache, O., Rocon, E., André, P., & Antunes, P. (2017). Insole optical fiber Bragg grating sensors network for dynamic vertical force monitoring. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 22.9. DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2017.2723263
  • Nogueira, S.L., Lambrecht, S., Inoue, R.S., Bortole, M., Montagnoli, A.N., Moreno, J.C., Rocon, E., Terra, M.H., Siqueira, A.A.G., & Pons, J.L. (2017). Global Kalman filter approaches to estimate absolute angles of lower limb segments. BioMedical Engineering OnLine, 16.1., 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12938-017-0346-7  
  • Totaro, M., Poliero, T., Mondini, A., Lucarotti, C., Cairoli, G., Ortiz, J., & Beccai, L. (2017). Soft Smart Garments for Lower Limb Joint Position Analysis. Sensors , 17.1. DOI: 10.3390/s17102314
  • Vargas-Valencia, L., Elias, A., Rocon, E., Bastos-Filho, T., &  Frizera, A. (2016). An IMU-to-Body Alignment Method Applied to Human Gait Analysis. Sensors, 16(12), 2090. DOI: 10.3390/s16122090

Book Chapters

  • Power, V., Eyto, A. d., Bauer, C., Nikamp, C., Schulein, S., Muller, J., Ortiz, J. and O’Sullivan, L. (2018) ‘Exploring user requirements for a lower body soft exoskeleton to assist mobility’ in Bai, S., Virk, G. S. and Sugar, T., eds., Wearable Exoskeleton Systems: Design, control and applications, Institution of Engineering and Technology, 67-95. http://digital-library.theiet.org/content/books/10.1049/pbce108e_ch4

Conference proceedings

  • Ortiz, J., Di Natali, C. and Caldwell, D. G. (2018). XoSoft – Iterative design of a modular soft lower limb exoskeleton. Carrozza M., Micera S., Pons J. (eds) Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends. WeRob 2018. Biosystems & Biorobotics, vol 22. Springer, Cham p. 351-355. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_67.
  • Baten, C. T.M., de Vries, W., Schaake, L. et al. (2018). XoSoft Connected Monitor (XCM) reconfigurable platform for unsupervised soft exo-skeleton monitoring and feedback of 3D kinematics, kinetics, behavioral context and control system status. Carrozza M., Micera S., Pons J. (eds) Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends. WeRob 2018. Biosystems & Biorobotics, vol 22. Springer, Cham p. 391-395. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_75.
  • Power, V., de Eyto, A., Hartigan, B., Ortiz, J.  and O’Sullivan, L. (2018). Application of a User-Centered Design Approach to the Development of XoSoft – a Lower Body Soft Exo-skeleton. Carrozza M., Micera S., Pons J. (eds) Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends. WeRob 2018. Biosystems & Biorobotics, vol 22. Springer, Cham p. 44-48. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_9.
  • M. Totaro, E. Bottenberg, R. Groeneveld, L. Erkens, A. Mondini, G. J. Brinks, and L. Bec-cai, Towards Embroidered Sensing Technologies for a Lower Limb Soft Exoskeleton. In: Carrozza M., Micera S., Pons J. (eds) Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends. WeRob 2018. Biosystems & Biorobotics, vol 22. Springer, Cham p. 53-57. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_11.
  • Sadeghi, A., Mondini, A., and Mazzolai, B. (2018). Preliminary Experimental Study on Var-iable Stiffness Structures Based on Textile Jamming for Wearable Robotics. In: Carrozza M., Micera S., Pons J. (eds) Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends. WeRob 2018. Bio-systems & Biorobotics, vol 22. Springer, Cham p. 53-57 p. 49-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_10.
  • Hidalgo Romero, A. F., Graf, E., and Rocon, E. (2018). An optimization approach to design control stategies for soft wearable passive exoskeletons. In: Carrozza M., Micera S., Pons J. (eds) Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends. WeRob 2018. Biosystems & Biorobotics, vol 22. Springer, Cham p. 53-57 p. 525-529. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_102.
  • Recher, F., Banos, O., Nikamps, C. et al. (2018). Optimizing Activity Recognition in Stroke Survivors for Wearable Exoskeletons. In Proceedings 7th IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (Biorob), Enschede, 2018, pp. 173-178. doi: 10.1109/BIOROB.2018.8487740.
  • Poliero, T., Di Natali, C., Sposito, M., Ortiz, J., Graf, E., Pauli, C., Bottenberg, E., De Eyto, A., Caldwell, D.G. (2018). Soft wearable device for lower limb assistance: Assessment of an optimized energy efficient actuation prototype. In 2018 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft). IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405385
  • Eveline S. Graf, E.S., Bauer, C.M., Power, V., de Eyto, A., Bottenberg, E., Poliero, T., Sposito, M., Scherly, D., Henke, R., Pauli, C., Erkens, L., Brinks, G., O’Sullivan, L., Wirz, M., Stadler, K.S., & Ortiz, J. (2018). Basic functionality of a prototype wearable assistive soft exoskeleton for people with gait impairments a case study. In PETRA ’18 Proceedings of the 11th PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments Conference (202-207). New York, USA: ACM Press. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-3876
  • Shore, L., de Eyto, A., & O’Sullivan, L. (2018) Investigating Perceptions Related to Technology Acceptance & Stigma of Wearable Robotic Assistive Devices by Older Adults – Preliminary Findings. In Proceedings of Design Research Society Conference 2018 (DRS2018) (5)16, 1919-1937. London, United Kingdom: Design Research Society. DOI: 10.21606/dma.2018.477
  • Buurke, J., Nikamp, C., Baten, C., Bauer, C., Grav, E., Schuelein, S., Power, V., O’Sullivan, L.W., de Eyto, A., & Ortiz, J. (2017). XoSoft – Development of a Soft Modular Lower Limb Exoskeleton. Gait & Posture, 57(1), 274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.06.413
  • Hidalgo, A.F., Lerma-Lara, S., & Rocon, E. (2017). A predictive simulation approach suitable for gait control strategies design to be used on lower limbs assistive devices. Gait & Posture, 57, 85-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.06.302
  • Bottenberg, E., Erkens, L.M., Hesse, J., & Brinks, G.J. (2017). The system integration of flexible electronics into a soft exoskeleton. In J Fashion Technol Textile Eng S4:020: Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Textiles and Mass Customisation (ITMC 2017). Het Pand, Onderbergen, Belgium. DOI: 10.4172/2329-9568.S4-020
  • Ortiz, J., Rocon, E., Power, V., de Eyto, A., O’Sullivan, L., Wirz, M., Bauer, C., Schülein, S., Stadler, K.S.,  Mazzolai, B., Teeuw, W.B., Baten, C., Nikamp, C., Buurke, J., Thorsteinsson, F., & Müller, J. (2017). XoSoft – A vision for a soft modular lower limb exoskeleton. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Wearable Robotics, WeRob 2016. Wearable Robotics:  Challenges and Trends. Biosystems & Biorobotics, (16)83-88. Springer: Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46532-6_14
  • O’Sullivan, L.W., Power, V., de Eyto, A., & Ortiz, J. (2017) User Centered Design and Usability of Bionic Devices. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation (ICNR2016). Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation II Biosystems & Biorobotics, 581-585. Springer: Cham. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-46669-9_96
  • Power, V., O’Sullivan, L., de Eyto, A., Schülein, S., Nikamp, C., Bauer, C., Mueller, J., & Ortiz, J. (2016) Exploring User Requirements for a Lower Body Soft Exoskeleton to Assist Mobility. In Proceedings of the 9th ACM International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments – PETRA ’16 (1-6). New York, USA: ACM Press. DOI: 10.1145/2910674.2935827

Presentations

  • V. Power, presentation on “User-centred design of wearable robotics – challenges and op-portunities’”. EU Falls Festival 2018, 2-3 July 2018, Manchester, UK
  • E. Graf, conference presentation on “Basic functionality of a Prototype Wearable Assis-tive Soft Exoskeleton for People with Gait Impairments – A Case Study” as part of the Session Assistive Robotic Systems and Human-Robot Interaction, 26-29 June, PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (PETRA 2018). Corfu, Greece
  • Massimo Totaro, conference presentation on “Materials and Technologies in the XoSoft project, a soft exoskeleton to assist people with mobility impairments”, 27-28 June, MatX 2018, Nürnberg, Germany
  • Jesús Ortiz, “How XoSoft technologies can improve usability of wearable assistive devices for the elderly” at the Exoskeletons for the elderly workshop at the European Robotics Forum 2018 (ERF 2018), 13-15 March 2018, Tampere, Finland, 2018.
  • J. Ortiz, workshop presentation on “Design Optimization of an Actuation System Applied to Wearable Robots” at the workshop Exoskeleton design through optimization and adaptive control,  IEEE RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, HUMANOIDS 2017, 15-17 November, Manchester, UK, 2017.
  • E.Bottenberg, L.M.Erkens, J.Hesse, G.J.Brinks, Conference presentation on “The system integration of flexible electronics into a soft exoskeleton” 16-18 October, International Conference on Intelligent Textiles and Mass Customisation, 2017.
  • Massimo Totaro, Chiara Lucarotti, Alessio Mondini, Jesús Ortiz, and Lucia Beccai, “Soft capacitive-based smart garments for joint position analysis”, MRS Spring Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, 2017.
  • Jesús Ortiz, Eduardo Rocón, Valerie Power, Adam De Eyto, Leonard O’Sullivan, Markus Wirz, Christoph Bauer, Samuel Schülein, Konrad S. Stadler, Barbara Mazzolai, Wouter Teeuw, Chris Baten, Corien Nikamp, Jaap Burke, Freygardur Thorsteinsson and Jeanette Müller, “XoSoft – A vision for a soft modular lower limb exoskeleton”, The International Symposium on Wearable Robotics (WeRob2016), October 18-21, La Granja, Segovia (Spain), 2016.
  • Leonard O’Sullivan, Valerie Power, Adam De Eyto, Samuel Schülein, Corien Nikamp, Christoph Bauer, Jeanette Müller and Jesús Ortiz, “Exploring user requirements for a lower body soft exoskeleton to assist mobility”, AHA Workshop, 9th International Conference on Pervasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (PETRA’16), June 29 – July 1, Corfù Island (Greece), 2016.
  • Jesús Ortiz, “XoSoft”, The New H2020 Robotics Projects in the SPARC Strategy, European Robotics Forum (ERF2016), Ljubljana (Slovenia), 2016.
  • Jesús Ortiz, Congreso de Ingeniería e Innovación de la Universidad Modelo (Ci+i 2016), June 18-21, Mérida (Mexico), 2016.

Posters

  • Fanny Recher, Oresti Banos, Corien D.M. Nikamp, Leendert Schaake, Chris T.M Baten, Jaap H. Buurke. Poster presentation on “Optimizing activity recognition in stroke survivors for wearable exoskeletons”. BioRob 2018, 26-29 August, Enschede, the Netherland, 2018
  • Evaluation of XoSoft Beta-1 Lower Limb Exoskeleton on a Post Stroke patient, GNB 2018, 25-27 June, Milano, Italy, 2018
  • Samuel Schülein Poster presentation on “Modulares Soft-Exoskelett zur Unterstützung von Menschen mit eingeschränkter Mobilität” Geriatrie Kongress DGG 2017, 28.-30. September, Frankfurt, Germany, 2017
  • J Buurke, C Nikamp, C Baten, C Bauer, E Graf, S Schulein, V Power, A de Eyto, L O’Sullivan, J Ortiz, Poster presentation on XoSoft – Development of a Soft Modular Lower Limb Exoskeleton 26th Annual Meeting of European Society for Movement analy-sis in Adults and Children, 6-9 September, Trondheim, Norway, 2017.

Workshop

  • Eduardo Rocon, Workshop on Soft Wearable Robotics, 6th IEEE RAS & EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob2016), June 26-29, Singapore, 2016.
  • F. Thorsteinsson, Workshop on next generation Bionics, International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2016), October 19, Segovia (Spain), 2016.
  • Leonard O’Sullivan, Valerie Power, Adam De Eyto, Jesús Ortiz, “User Centered Design and Usability of Bionic Devices”, Workshop on next generation Bionics, International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2016), October 19, Segovia (Spain), 2016.

 

Public Deliverables

  • D2.1 User centred XoSoft Vision and PSS Concept  A document detailing a combination of visual materials describing the concept (Storyboards, Renderings and 3D CAD work, videos and images of sketch model work), physical concepts (passive mock-ups) and a report outlining the vision for the concept relative to the needs of each of the three users. The document will outline the PSS for the concept and will align the users’ needs (M6).
  • D3.3 Soft mechanical sensors This report will include a comparison of different smart material technologies for sensing and the selection and optimization of the ones fitting better the application of this project. The sensors using these materials will be optimized to measure the desired physical values (strain, force, bending, etc.) (M12).