Human Muscle Force Modeling for Enhanced Assistive Device Control

Abstract

While there exist a number of mechanically sophisticated exoskeletons and prostheses, with articulations similar to that of the intact human arm and hand, intuitive control remains extremely limited: users can often modulate only a single degree of freedom due to the limits of conventional non-invasive sensing. In this talk, I will discuss our current efforts to leverage novel sensing frameworks – primarily, ultrasound and acoustic myography – to more precisely measure muscle output force to allow for the extraction of multiple robust control signals and enhanced overall understanding of neurological motor control.