Abstract
We tested the ability of a synergy-based myocontrol scheme to achieve simultaneous, continuous control of two degrees of freedom (DOFs) of a robotic arm that reproduces the child’s movement (or intention of movement), using muscle synergies extracted from muscles recorded during both isometric contractions and unconstrained flexion-extension movements of elbow and shoulder joints in the horizontal plane. The aim of the current work was to validate the feasibility and the efficacy of the synergy-based approach for multi-DOF robotic control in children with dystonia, compared to the simple muscle-pair method typically used in commercial applications. The proposed synergy-based scheme showed a better performance compared to the traditional muscle-pair approach, both in dynamic and isometric conditions. The current study represents a crucial successful first step toward synergy-based working solutions for children with dystonia.
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Acknowledgments
Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NS064046).
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Lunardini, F., Casellato, C., Sanger, T.D., Pedrocchi, A. (2017). Synergy-Based Myocontrol of a Two Degree of Freedom Robotic Arm in Children with Dystonia. In: Ibáñez, J., González-Vargas, J., AzorĂn, J., Akay, M., Pons, J. (eds) Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation II. Biosystems & Biorobotics, vol 15. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46669-9_98
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46669-9_98
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