Wearable Robotics

BE-PRO stands for Better Exo Project and refers to an exoskeleton with optimized actuation and control for reduction of fatigue during occupational tasks. This project is funded from RIF (Research and Innovation Foundation) with an amount of 40K€ for 9 months, within the “Restart 2016-2020” program.

Future users are workers in logistic companies and warehouses who need to perform tasks like lifting/lowering, moving, and placing heavy objects. Those people are prone to lower back impairments which worsen their quality of life.

We develop an active mock-up exoskeleton which aims to demonstrate the potential benefit of executing workspace-based tasks. During the project, IREROBOT develops a model and a prototype of a novel industrial exoskeleton that can lead to the development of an experimentally verified product with potential use in several industrial sectors, such as the manufacturing, transport-shipping, construction, social care, and agriculture/farming sectors.

Within the project BE-PRO, IREROBOT created a custom Force plate for recording the reaction forces during different tasks. In addition, sensors were placed on the required parts of the body for recording their orientation.

Demonstration of the full-body kinematics measurement and visualization with the use of inexpensive Inertial Measurement Units and Opensim (SimTK).

EXO graphs

Figure. Some results obtained from a squat motion (standing to squat, and squat to stand). The data were obtained from the Force plate that IREROBOT created, in combination with the OpenSense IMU sensors.