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A robotic exoskeleton for Neurotherapy - Research Prototype to Industrial Version: Controls and Software
During the last 5 years we developed a new generation of exoskeleton for neurotherapy. In order to make the benchmark-breaking technology accessible to a wider range of researchers and ultimately patients, we redesign the research prototype into a commercial version. To this end, we collaborate with an international company that is a key player in the rehabilitation field. If you have a flair for control, full-stack software development (C++), haptics, or user interfaces, this thesis might fit you amazingly.
ANYexo is a versatile, fully actuated, 9-DOF exoskeleton for upper limb Neurotherapy. It was developed at ETH during the last five years to tackle the drawbacks of current devices used in clinics. The robot can support, guide or resist movements of patients during functional movement therapy. To this end, the robot is designed to support a large range of motion, high speeds, and to control the interaction forces with the patient robustly and accurately. It is the first device to support all relevant joints of the human upper limb with actuated degrees of freedom. Further, the robot sets a new benchmark in haptic transparency combined with sufficient power for strength training. Check out this overview video https://youtu.be/pMKoDeaS37k.
Together with an international company, we want to bring this technology on the market. Therefore, the hardware, software, and controls design of the robot has to be adapted. The main adaptions will encompass the change to another actuation system, structural improvements, refactoring of the software towards more user-friendliness and adaption of the controls to the new structure and actuation.
ANYexo is a versatile, fully actuated, 9-DOF exoskeleton for upper limb Neurotherapy. It was developed at ETH during the last five years to tackle the drawbacks of current devices used in clinics. The robot can support, guide or resist movements of patients during functional movement therapy. To this end, the robot is designed to support a large range of motion, high speeds, and to control the interaction forces with the patient robustly and accurately. It is the first device to support all relevant joints of the human upper limb with actuated degrees of freedom. Further, the robot sets a new benchmark in haptic transparency combined with sufficient power for strength training. Check out this overview video https://youtu.be/pMKoDeaS37k.
Together with an international company, we want to bring this technology on the market. Therefore, the hardware, software, and controls design of the robot has to be adapted. The main adaptions will encompass the change to another actuation system, structural improvements, refactoring of the software towards more user-friendliness and adaption of the controls to the new structure and actuation.
If you are into control system engineering, full-stack software development, or mechatronics integration, this project description is right for you. If you are into mechanical design, dimensioning, and production planning, check out our other advertisement on the hardware development. You will be involved in the refactoring and adapting our controls software stack for the robot, which is mainly written in C++. . The scope and expectations on the tasks will be adapted to the thesis type. The work packages will fit well to Master Thesis, and Semester Projects.
Examples of what you could do are:
- derive the detailed requirements for the controls and code stack adaption
- investigate and model the performance of the new actuation system (we are switching from using series-elastic to quasi-direct actuation)
- derive and implement the required controls methods to account for the new actuation system
- implement identification methods to improve the model-based controls performance by calibration
- apply non-linear control methods to improve the performance of the device in interaction with the human
- implement/improve the state-machine of the low level controls to tackle and overcome the safety challenges by understanding and leveraging the mechatronics structure and characteristics of the communication protocols
- restructure the software architecture to improve the useability for researchers and engineers
- design and implement augmented user interfaces
- refactoring the software stack to work with ROS 2 (Robot Operating System: currently version 1 is used)
- Update and improve the physics simulation for the new version of the robot.
- testing your software stack and controls on the new hardware
- design and execute experiments to evaluate the performance of the new controls
If you are into control system engineering, full-stack software development, or mechatronics integration, this project description is right for you. If you are into mechanical design, dimensioning, and production planning, check out our other advertisement on the hardware development. You will be involved in the refactoring and adapting our controls software stack for the robot, which is mainly written in C++. . The scope and expectations on the tasks will be adapted to the thesis type. The work packages will fit well to Master Thesis, and Semester Projects.
Examples of what you could do are:
- derive the detailed requirements for the controls and code stack adaption - investigate and model the performance of the new actuation system (we are switching from using series-elastic to quasi-direct actuation) - derive and implement the required controls methods to account for the new actuation system - implement identification methods to improve the model-based controls performance by calibration - apply non-linear control methods to improve the performance of the device in interaction with the human - implement/improve the state-machine of the low level controls to tackle and overcome the safety challenges by understanding and leveraging the mechatronics structure and characteristics of the communication protocols - restructure the software architecture to improve the useability for researchers and engineers - design and implement augmented user interfaces - refactoring the software stack to work with ROS 2 (Robot Operating System: currently version 1 is used) - Update and improve the physics simulation for the new version of the robot. - testing your software stack and controls on the new hardware - design and execute experiments to evaluate the performance of the new controls
Contribute to developing a state-of-the-art robotic system for Neurotherapy, that should be commercialized. Thereby, your work will be used in a (series) produced device and not only end in a report. Thereby, hopefully, improving the rehabilitation process of patients and research in rehabilitation worldwide.
In the process, you will work on and contribute to a software stack that was built over years by many experienced programmers. Thereby, you can learn from the existing programming style and contribute your own elements. To coordinate the code development you will work together with others using common code versioning tools. You might also get the chance to learn collaboration with an international developers team.
The project is led and supervised by the same engineer/researcher who developed the first prototype over five years. Thus, you can benefit from experienced mentoring in the field.
Contribute to developing a state-of-the-art robotic system for Neurotherapy, that should be commercialized. Thereby, your work will be used in a (series) produced device and not only end in a report. Thereby, hopefully, improving the rehabilitation process of patients and research in rehabilitation worldwide.
In the process, you will work on and contribute to a software stack that was built over years by many experienced programmers. Thereby, you can learn from the existing programming style and contribute your own elements. To coordinate the code development you will work together with others using common code versioning tools. You might also get the chance to learn collaboration with an international developers team.
The project is led and supervised by the same engineer/researcher who developed the first prototype over five years. Thus, you can benefit from experienced mentoring in the field.
- highly motivated and excited to work with a complex robotic system
- able to work autonomously
- able to work in a team and goal oriented
- practical experience in programming (C++ preferred)
- experience with ROS and ROS 2 are beneficial
- interest in mechatronics and communication protocols (required for some workpackages only)
- theoretical knowledge in controls (non-linear controls, identification methods, robotic system control methods)
- highly motivated and excited to work with a complex robotic system - able to work autonomously - able to work in a team and goal oriented - practical experience in programming (C++ preferred) - experience with ROS and ROS 2 are beneficial - interest in mechatronics and communication protocols (required for some workpackages only) - theoretical knowledge in controls (non-linear controls, identification methods, robotic system control methods)
If interested please contact me via email with your CV and transcripts attached: Yves Zimmermann yvesz@ethz.ch ¨ Please, specify what interests you most, such that I can tailor the project to your interests and skills.
If interested please contact me via email with your CV and transcripts attached: Yves Zimmermann yvesz@ethz.ch ¨ Please, specify what interests you most, such that I can tailor the project to your interests and skills.