 |
Sign up for our newsletter!
Become a member! |
|
Invited Talk |
|
Robotics-assisted treadmill technology: Prof. Dr. Kenneth J. Hunt
Abstract Rehabilitation robotics have been introduced in clinical practice to support therapeutic interventions in a wide range of neurological conditions. Several devices have been developed to provide robotics-assisted gait training for people who have suffered a spinal cord injury or a stroke. We have recently expanded the scope of application to encompass cardiopulmonary training and assessment [1,2]. We developed a method of estimating the patient’s volitional effort during exercise [2], and a feedback control strategy which allows pre-defined work rate profiles to be imposed during exercise [1]. This structure has recently been augmented by a feedback control system which automatically determines the work rate required to achieve a pre-defined target oxygen uptake (VO2) profile [3,4]. These methods are successful in counteracting the strongly nonlinear response of VO2 during exercise [5]. They can be applied during exercise training programmes to optimize cardiopulmonary health, and during formal exercise tests to increase understanding and to improve estimates of important cardiorespiratory performance parameters [6]. This talk will give an overview of this line of work, with a focus on feedback control aspects and the potential for clinical application.
Biography Kenneth J. Hunt is a Professor and Director of the Institute for Mechatronic Systems at Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland (labs.ti.bfh.ch/ifms). He was previously Director of Research and co-founder of the Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury, based within the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow (www.scisci.org.uk). He was also Wylie Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering at the University of Glasgow (www.gla.ac.uk/cre). He has held visiting positions at the Sensory-Motor Systems Laboratory, ETH-Zürich, at Swiss Paraplegic Research in Nottwil, and at the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield. Professor Hunt specialises in basic and applied research in the modelling and control of complex biomedical and healthcare-related systems. Applications are mainly in the fields of medical and sports engineering, with a strong focus on spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
Related Publications [1] K. J. Hunt, L. P. Jack, A. Pennycott, C. Perret, M. Baumberger, and T. H. Kakebeeke, “Control of work-rate-driven exercise facilitates cardiopulmonary training and assessment during robot-assisted gait in incomplete spinal cord injury,” Biomed. Signal Process. Control, vol. 3, pp. 19-28, January 2008. Epub 2007 Dec 4. DOI:10.1016/j.bspc.2007.10.002. [2] A. Pennycott, K. J. Hunt, L. P. Jack, C. Perret, and T. H. Kakebeeke, “Estimation and volitional feedback control of active work rate during robot-assisted gait,” Control Eng. Practice, vol. 17, pp. 322-328, February 2009. Epub 2008 Oct 30. DOI:10.1016/j.conengprac.2008.09.011. [3] A. Pennycott, K. J. Hunt, S. A. F. Coupaud, D. B. Allan, and T. H. Kakebeeke, “Feedback control of oxygen uptake during robot-assisted gait,” IEEE Trans. Control Sys. Tech., 2009. DOI:10.1109/TCST.2008.2009465. In Press. [4] K. J. Hunt and D. B. Allan, “A stochastic Hammerstein model for control of oxygen uptake during robotics-assisted gait,” Int. J. Adaptive Control Signal Process., vol. 23, pp. 472-484, May 2009. Epub 2008 Aug 15. DOI:10.1002/acs.1060. [6] L. P. Jack, M. Purcell, D. B. Allan, and K. J. Hunt, “Comparison of peak cardiopulmonary responses during robotics-assisted treadmill exercise and arm-crank ergometry in incomplete spinal cord injury,” 2009. In preparation. [7] K. J. Hunt, O. Ajayi, H. Gollee, and L. Jamieson, “Feedback control of oxygen uptake during treadmill exercise,” IEEE Trans. Control Sys. Tech., vol. 16, pp. 624-635, July 2008. DOI:10.1109/TCST.2007.912116. [8] K. J. Hunt, “Treadmill control protocols for arbitrary work rate profiles combining simultaneous nonlinear changes in speed and angle,” Biomed. Signal Process. Control, vol. 3, pp. 278-282, July 2008. Epub 2008 Mar 12. DOI:10.1016/j.bspc.2008.01.004. [9] L. P. Jack, D. B. Allan, and K. J. Hunt, “Cardiopulmonary exercise testing during body weight supported treadmill exercise in incomplete spinal cord injury,” Technology and Health Care, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 13-23, 2009. DOI:10.3233/THC-2009-0528. [10] L. P. Jamieson, K. J. Hunt, and D. B. Allan, “A treadmill control protocol combining nonlinear, equally smooth increases in speed and gradient: exercise testing for subjects with gait and exercise limitations,” Med. Eng. Phys., vol. 30, pp. 747-754, July 2008. Epub 2007 Oct 2. DOI:10.1016/j.medengphy.2007.08.003. |
|
Volker Koch, 10/2009 |