Robert D. Gregg | |
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Born | United States |
Nationality | American |
Occupations |
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Academic background | |
Education | B.S., Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences M.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering |
Alma mater | University of California University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of Michigan |
Robert D. Gregg is an American bioengineer,roboticist,inventor and academic. He is an associate professor at the University of Michigan. [1]
Gregg is most known for his works on bipedal locomotion control and wearable robotics. His research focuses on integrating human biomechanics insights into robot control algorithms,improving natural movement efficiency. His work has targeted enhancing mobility for individuals with disabilities,particularly through robotic prosthetic legs mimicking natural gait patterns to reduce asymmetry. [2] He has overseen clinical trials using wearable robots for injury prevention in workplaces,elderly mobility enhancement,and restoring natural locomotion for above-knee amputees. [3]
He is the recipient of the 2013 NIH Director's New Innovator Award [4] and 2017 National Science Foundation CAREER Award. [5]
Gregg earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California in 2006,followed by a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2007. He completed his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the same university in 2010. [6]
Gregg began his academic career as a research scientist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago from 2012 to 2013. He then joined the University of Texas at Dallas,serving as an assistant professor from 2013 to 2019 and concurrently as the Eugene McDermott Professor from 2018 to 2019. From 2020 to 2022,he was the associate director for graduate education in robotics at the University of Michigan,where he has been an associate professor since 2019. [1]
For his research,Gregg has received grants from organizations,including NIH and NSF. In his early research,he concentrated on the controlled reduction of bipedal walking robots. [7] He introduced a hierarchical framework using asymptotically stable gait primitives for motion planning in 3-D bipedal walking,reducing the problem to a low-dimensional discrete tree search and demonstrating its effectiveness in navigating obstacles with examples including the 3-D compass-gait biped and more complex models. [8] As a result of his 2011 to 2013 research,he devised advanced biomimetic control strategies for powered prosthetic legs,emphasizing a kinematic constraint and output linearizing controller to enhance both wearability and performance. [9] [10] Furthermore,his control algorithm research has facilitated robotic prosthetic legs in replicating natural walking patterns,diminishing gait asymmetry in individuals with lower-limb amputations. [11]
Gregg's recent research has focused on projects including phase-based control of prosthetic legs. This research has focused on enhancing the functionality of powered prosthetic legs for individuals with lower-limb amputations by developing a continuous parameterization method that synchronizes the prosthetic leg's motion with the user's activities and timing during the gait cycle,potentially leading to smoother and more natural mobility. [12] [13] [14] In another research project,his group has focused on developing a novel control methodology for rehabilitation orthoses/exoskeletons based on task-invariant,energetic principles,allowing dynamic offloading of the weight of patients during gait rehabilitation. [15] [16] Some of his work has focused on developing compact,lightweight,wearable actuators for lower-limb orthoses and prostheses,using custom high-torque motors with low-ratio transmissions to achieve high output torques with minimal back drive,promoting comfort,user participation,swing freedom,impact absorption,and energy regeneration during human locomotion. [17] [18]
Walking is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step. This applies regardless of the usable number of limbs—even arthropods,with six,eight,or more limbs,walk. In humans,walking has health benefits including improved mental health and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
In medicine,a prosthesis,or a prosthetic implant,is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part,which may be lost through physical trauma,disease,or a condition present at birth. Prostheses are intended to restore the normal functions of the missing body part. Amputee rehabilitation is primarily coordinated by a physiatrist as part of an inter-disciplinary team consisting of physiatrists,prosthetists,nurses,physical therapists,and occupational therapists. Prostheses can be created by hand or with computer-aided design (CAD),a software interface that helps creators design and analyze the creation with computer-generated 2-D and 3-D graphics as well as analysis and optimization tools.
Passive dynamics refers to the dynamical behavior of actuators,robots,or organisms when not drawing energy from a supply. Depending on the application,considering or altering the passive dynamics of a powered system can have drastic effects on performance,particularly energy economy,stability,and task bandwidth. Devices using no power source are considered "passive",and their behavior is fully described by their passive dynamics.
Extended physiological proprioception (EPP) is a concept pioneered by D.C. Simpson (1972) to describe the ability to perceive at the tip of a tool. Proprioception is the concept is that proprioceptors in the muscles and joints,couple with cutaneous receptors to identify and manage contacts between the body and the world. Extended physiological proprioception allows for this same process to apply to contacts between a tool that is being held and the world. The work was based on prostheses developed at the time in response to disabilities incurred by infants as the result of use of the drug thalidomide by mothers from 1957 to 1962,with the tool in this case simply being the prosthesis itself. How a person identifies with themself changes after a lower limb amputation affects body image,functioning,awareness,and future projections.
Legged robots are a type of mobile robot which use articulated limbs,such as leg mechanisms,to provide locomotion. They are more versatile than wheeled robots and can traverse many different terrains,though these advantages require increased complexity and power consumption. Legged robots often imitate legged animals,such as humans or insects,in an example of biomimicry.
James Foort was a Canadian inventor,artist,and innovator in the field of prosthetic limbs.
Hugh Herr is an American rock climber,engineer,and biophysicist. When he was young,both of his legs were amputated below the knee during a blizzard in a rock climbing trip. After months of surgeries and rehabilitation,Herr began climbing again,using specialized prostheses he designed for himself,becoming the first person with a major amputation to perform in a sport on par with elite-level,able-bodied persons. He holds the patents to the Rheo Knee,an active ankle-foot orthosis,which is the world's first powered ankle-foot prosthesis.
Orthotics is a medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of orthoses,sometimes known as braces or calipers. An orthosis is "an externally applied device used to influence the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems." Orthotists are professionals who specialize in designing these braces.
Rehabilitation robotics is a field of research dedicated to understanding and augmenting rehabilitation through the application of robotic devices. Rehabilitation robotics includes development of robotic devices tailored for assisting different sensorimotor functions(e.g. arm,hand,leg,ankle),development of different schemes of assisting therapeutic training,and assessment of sensorimotor performance of patient;here,robots are used mainly as therapy aids instead of assistive devices. Rehabilitation using robotics is generally well tolerated by patients,and has been found to be an effective adjunct to therapy in individuals with motor impairments,especially due to stroke.
A powered exoskeleton is a mobile machine that is wearable over all or part of the human body,providing ergonomic structural support and powered by a system of electric motors,pneumatics,levers,hydraulics or a combination of cybernetic technologies,while allowing for sufficient limb movement with increased strength and endurance. The exoskeleton is designed to provide better mechanical load tolerance,and its control system aims to sense and synchronize with the user's intended motion and relay the signal to motors which manage the gears. The exoskeleton also protects the user's shoulder,waist,back and thigh against overload,and stabilizes movements when lifting and holding heavy items.
Neuromechanics of orthoses refers to how the human body interacts with orthoses. Millions of people in the U.S. suffer from stroke,multiple sclerosis,postpolio,spinal cord injuries,or various other ailments that benefit from the use of orthoses. Insofar as active orthoses and powered exoskeletons are concerned,the technology to build these devices is improving rapidly,but little research has been done on the human side of these human-machine interfaces.
As humans move through their environment,they must change the stiffness of their joints in order to effectively interact with their surroundings. Stiffness is the degree to a which an object resists deformation when subjected to a known force. This idea is also referred to as impedance,however,sometimes the idea of deformation under a given load is discussed under the term "compliance" which is the opposite of stiffness . In order to effectively interact with their environment,humans must adjust the stiffness of their limbs. This is accomplished via the co-contraction of antagonistic muscle groups.
Proportional myoelectric control can be used to activate robotic lower limb exoskeletons. A proportional myoelectric control system utilizes a microcontroller or computer that inputs electromyography (EMG) signals from sensors on the leg muscle(s) and then activates the corresponding joint actuator(s) proportionally to the EMG signal.
X-ray motion analysis is a technique used to track the movement of objects using X-rays. This is done by placing the subject to be imaged in the center of the X-ray beam and recording the motion using an image intensifier and a high-speed camera,allowing for high quality videos sampled many times per second. Depending on the settings of the X-rays,this technique can visualize specific structures in an object,such as bones or cartilage. X-ray motion analysis can be used to perform gait analysis,analyze joint movement,or record the motion of bones obscured by soft tissue. The ability to measure skeletal motions is a key aspect to one's understanding of vertebrate biomechanics,energetics,and motor control.
Robotic prosthesis control is a method for controlling a prosthesis in such a way that the controlled robotic prosthesis restores a biologically accurate gait to a person with a loss of limb. This is a special branch of control that has an emphasis on the interaction between humans and robotics.
Pierre Rabischong is a neuroanatomist and an emeritus professor at the University of Montpellier in France. He is known for his work in rehabilitation medicine and physiotherapy,as well as powered orthoses. He was the leader of the AMOLL project in 1975.
Robert S. Gailey Jr. is an American physical therapist,professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy,and the Director of the Neil Spielholz Functional Outcomes Research &Evaluation Center. His research efforts include amputee rehabilitation,prosthetic gait,and functional assessment.
Gait deviations are nominally referred to as any variation of standard human gait,typically manifesting as a coping mechanism in response to an anatomical impairment. Lower-limb amputees are unable to maintain the characteristic walking patterns of an able-bodied individual due to the removal of some portion of the impaired leg. Without the anatomical structure and neuromechanical control of the removed leg segment,amputees must use alternative compensatory strategies to walk efficiently. Prosthetic limbs provide support to the user and more advanced models attempt to mimic the function of the missing anatomy,including biomechanically controlled ankle and knee joints. However,amputees still display quantifiable differences in many measures of ambulation when compared to able-bodied individuals. Several common observations are whole-body movements,slower and wider steps,shorter strides,and increased sway.
Auke Jan Ijspeert is a Swiss-Dutch roboticist and neuroscientist. He is a professor of biorobotics in the Institute of Bioengineering at EPFL,École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,and the head of the Biorobotics Laboratory at the School of Engineering.
Elena Garcia Armada is a Spanish researcher,roboticist,business founder and industrial engineer who leads the CSIC group at the Center for Automation and Robotics,(CAR) CSIC-UPM that has developed the first bionic exoskeleton for children with spinal muscular atrophy,for which she received the European Inventor Award Popular Prize in 2022.