Tesi etd-03222023-095412
Link copiato negli appunti
Tipo di tesi
Dottorato
Autore
MASIERO, FEDERICO
URN
etd-03222023-095412
Titolo
The Myokinetic Interface: magnetic tracking and actuation for the restoration of dexterous control and proprioceptive feedback in transradial amputees
Settore scientifico disciplinare
ING-IND/34
Corso di studi
Istituto di Biorobotica - PHD IN BIOROBOTICA
Commissione
relatore Prof. CIPRIANI, CHRISTIAN
Membro Prof.ssa CASADIO, MAURA
Membro Dott. D'ALONZO, MARCO
Membro Prof.ssa CASADIO, MAURA
Membro Dott. D'ALONZO, MARCO
Parole chiave
- Upper limb prosthetics
- Myokinetic Interface
- Human-Machine Interfaces
- Magnetic Tracking
- Magnetic Actuation
- Magnetic Field Modeling
Data inizio appello
03/07/2023;
Disponibilità
parziale
Riassunto analitico
Developing dexterous hand prostheses which are controlled and perceived naturally by an
amputee is one of the major challenges in biomedical engineering. With this goal in mind,
many research efforts have been made, from proposing novel surgical techniques, to advancing
technologies for biological signals acquisitions and neuromuscular stimulation. Most of the
state-of-the-art approaches probe muscle electrical activity for control, and deliver electrical
pulses to nerves for sensory feedback. An alternative approach based on the implantation of
permanent magnets, dubbed the myokinetic interface, aims to monitor muscles contractions
by localizing the magnetic markers implanted in them, and thus controlling the corresponding
movements in the artificial hand. In this way, such an interface holds the potential for a
biomimetic, direct, independent, and parallel control of multiple degrees of freedom of an
artificial hand. Moreover, selectively vibrating the magnets also offers a unique opportunity to
study kinesthetic percepts in humans, thus possibly becoming a bidirectional interface. The
myokinetic interface could be combined with existing advanced human-machine interfaces
for prosthetics, such as targeted muscle reinnervation or osseointegrated implants, to further
improve its efficacy and comfort, and also opens new possibilities to interface humans with
robotic technologies in an intuitive way.
After presenting the latest advances in human-machine interfaces for prosthetics and the
key enabling technologies to develop a myokinetic interface (Chapter 1), this thesis reports
about part of the development stages of the latter, along three distinct topics: (i) modelling of
the implanted magnets (Part I, Chapter 2), (ii) magnetic tracking (Part II, Chapter 3) and (iii)
magnetic actuation (Part III, Chapter 4 and Chapter 5). Chapter 2 provides exact and robust
expressions for field and field gradient for permanent magnets cylinders with generic uniform
magnetization. In addition, expressions regulating the magnetic interaction between coaxial
cylinders are presented. Chapter 3 treats an in-silico study aimed at quantifying the impact of
sensors properties in the accuracy, precision and number of iterations of a magnetic tracker.
Different number of magnets and their distances from the sensors plane are considered in
order to evaluate the performance of the tracking algorithm for various sensors resolution
and localization rates (frequencies of localization). Chapter 4 addresses in-vitro and in-vivo
investigations of the magnetic actuation approach to deliver kinesthetic percepts. A coil-array
system consisting of 8 stationary electromagnets is used to test directionality, frequency
selectivity and the tuning of the vibration shape in a single remote magnet. Simplified systems
with only one degree of freedom (using a single magnetic actuating source) are used to vibrate
a magnet implanted in the forearm of an animal model. Chapter 5 presents the integration of
magnetic tracking and actuation in a single device consisting of 12 coils capable to selectively
vibrate moving magnets. Such a system exhibits individual actuation of a single magnet out of
4 that are still, or out of 2 that are moving, while simultaneously tracking all of them. Finally,
Chapter 6 discusses the thesis work including limitations, outlooks and concluding remarks.
amputee is one of the major challenges in biomedical engineering. With this goal in mind,
many research efforts have been made, from proposing novel surgical techniques, to advancing
technologies for biological signals acquisitions and neuromuscular stimulation. Most of the
state-of-the-art approaches probe muscle electrical activity for control, and deliver electrical
pulses to nerves for sensory feedback. An alternative approach based on the implantation of
permanent magnets, dubbed the myokinetic interface, aims to monitor muscles contractions
by localizing the magnetic markers implanted in them, and thus controlling the corresponding
movements in the artificial hand. In this way, such an interface holds the potential for a
biomimetic, direct, independent, and parallel control of multiple degrees of freedom of an
artificial hand. Moreover, selectively vibrating the magnets also offers a unique opportunity to
study kinesthetic percepts in humans, thus possibly becoming a bidirectional interface. The
myokinetic interface could be combined with existing advanced human-machine interfaces
for prosthetics, such as targeted muscle reinnervation or osseointegrated implants, to further
improve its efficacy and comfort, and also opens new possibilities to interface humans with
robotic technologies in an intuitive way.
After presenting the latest advances in human-machine interfaces for prosthetics and the
key enabling technologies to develop a myokinetic interface (Chapter 1), this thesis reports
about part of the development stages of the latter, along three distinct topics: (i) modelling of
the implanted magnets (Part I, Chapter 2), (ii) magnetic tracking (Part II, Chapter 3) and (iii)
magnetic actuation (Part III, Chapter 4 and Chapter 5). Chapter 2 provides exact and robust
expressions for field and field gradient for permanent magnets cylinders with generic uniform
magnetization. In addition, expressions regulating the magnetic interaction between coaxial
cylinders are presented. Chapter 3 treats an in-silico study aimed at quantifying the impact of
sensors properties in the accuracy, precision and number of iterations of a magnetic tracker.
Different number of magnets and their distances from the sensors plane are considered in
order to evaluate the performance of the tracking algorithm for various sensors resolution
and localization rates (frequencies of localization). Chapter 4 addresses in-vitro and in-vivo
investigations of the magnetic actuation approach to deliver kinesthetic percepts. A coil-array
system consisting of 8 stationary electromagnets is used to test directionality, frequency
selectivity and the tuning of the vibration shape in a single remote magnet. Simplified systems
with only one degree of freedom (using a single magnetic actuating source) are used to vibrate
a magnet implanted in the forearm of an animal model. Chapter 5 presents the integration of
magnetic tracking and actuation in a single device consisting of 12 coils capable to selectively
vibrate moving magnets. Such a system exhibits individual actuation of a single magnet out of
4 that are still, or out of 2 that are moving, while simultaneously tracking all of them. Finally,
Chapter 6 discusses the thesis work including limitations, outlooks and concluding remarks.
File
| Nome file | Dimensione |
|---|---|
Ci sono 2 file riservati su richiesta dell'autore. |
|