Multi-Robot Cyber-Physical System For Assisting Young Developmentally-Delayed Children in Learning to Walk

Abstract:

This project, NSF grant 1329363, is a modular, computationally-distributed multi-robot cyber-physical system (CPS) for assisting young developmentally-delayed children learning to walk. The challenges of assisting young developmentally-delayed children learning to walk are 1) stabilizing medio-lateral body sway, 2) developing gait that exploits energy exchange, and 3) coordinating multiple degrees of freedom. Adults assisting children learning to walk provides a "scaffold" of postural support that enables the child to safely explore the forces acting on its body. In order to capture the adaptability of the adult in responding to the child's learning, our CPS consists of (a) a support arm to dynamically sense and stabilize center of mass sway; (b) a wearable exosuit with embedded sensor and actuator to assist walking; and (c) a scaffold to modulate and stabilize center of mass sway.