Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces
State-of-the-art controllers for active back exosuits rely on body kinematics and state machines. These controllers do not continuously target the lumbosacral compression forces or adapt to unknown external loads. The use of additional contact or load detection could make such controllers more adapt...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Wearable Technologies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717625000039/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849716069905727488 |
|---|---|
| author | Alejandro Moya-Esteban Mohamed Irfan Refai Saivimal Sridar Herman van der Kooij Massimo Sartori |
| author_facet | Alejandro Moya-Esteban Mohamed Irfan Refai Saivimal Sridar Herman van der Kooij Massimo Sartori |
| author_sort | Alejandro Moya-Esteban |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | State-of-the-art controllers for active back exosuits rely on body kinematics and state machines. These controllers do not continuously target the lumbosacral compression forces or adapt to unknown external loads. The use of additional contact or load detection could make such controllers more adaptive; however, it can be impractical for daily use. Here, we developed a novel neuro-mechanical model-based controller (NMBC) that uses a personalized electromyography (EMG)-driven musculoskeletal (MSK) model to estimate lumbosacral joint loading. NMBC provided adaptive, subject- and load-specific assistive forces proportional to estimates of the active part of biological joint moments through a soft back support exosuit. Without a priori information, the maximum assistive forces of the cable were modulated across weights. Simultaneously, we applied a non-adaptive, kinematic-dependent, trunk inclination-based controller (TIBC). Both NMBC and TIBC reduced the mean and peak biomechanical metrics, although not all reductions were significant. TIBC did not modulate assistance across weights. NMBC showed larger reductions of mean than peak values, significant reductions during the erect stance and the cumulative compressive loads by 21% over multiple cycles in a cohort of 10 participants. Overall, NMBC targeted mean lumbosacral compressive forces during lifting without a priori information of the load being carried. This may facilitate the adoption of non-hindering wearable robotics in real-life scenarios. As NMBC is informed by an EMG-driven MSK model, it is possible to tune the timing of NMBC-generated torque commands to the exosuit (delaying or anticipating commands with respect to biological torques) to target further reduction of peak or mean compressive forces and muscle fatigue. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1dddfb8bb8b9456a85141fa8b5c14751 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2631-7176 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wearable Technologies |
| spelling | doaj-art-1dddfb8bb8b9456a85141fa8b5c147512025-08-20T03:13:08ZengCambridge University PressWearable Technologies2631-71762025-01-01610.1017/wtc.2025.3Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forcesAlejandro Moya-Esteban0Mohamed Irfan Refai1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3617-5131Saivimal Sridar2Herman van der Kooij3Massimo Sartori4Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsState-of-the-art controllers for active back exosuits rely on body kinematics and state machines. These controllers do not continuously target the lumbosacral compression forces or adapt to unknown external loads. The use of additional contact or load detection could make such controllers more adaptive; however, it can be impractical for daily use. Here, we developed a novel neuro-mechanical model-based controller (NMBC) that uses a personalized electromyography (EMG)-driven musculoskeletal (MSK) model to estimate lumbosacral joint loading. NMBC provided adaptive, subject- and load-specific assistive forces proportional to estimates of the active part of biological joint moments through a soft back support exosuit. Without a priori information, the maximum assistive forces of the cable were modulated across weights. Simultaneously, we applied a non-adaptive, kinematic-dependent, trunk inclination-based controller (TIBC). Both NMBC and TIBC reduced the mean and peak biomechanical metrics, although not all reductions were significant. TIBC did not modulate assistance across weights. NMBC showed larger reductions of mean than peak values, significant reductions during the erect stance and the cumulative compressive loads by 21% over multiple cycles in a cohort of 10 participants. Overall, NMBC targeted mean lumbosacral compressive forces during lifting without a priori information of the load being carried. This may facilitate the adoption of non-hindering wearable robotics in real-life scenarios. As NMBC is informed by an EMG-driven MSK model, it is possible to tune the timing of NMBC-generated torque commands to the exosuit (delaying or anticipating commands with respect to biological torques) to target further reduction of peak or mean compressive forces and muscle fatigue.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717625000039/type/journal_articlesoft wearable roboticsneuro-roboticsbiomechatronicshuman motor controlexosuits |
| spellingShingle | Alejandro Moya-Esteban Mohamed Irfan Refai Saivimal Sridar Herman van der Kooij Massimo Sartori Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces Wearable Technologies soft wearable robotics neuro-robotics biomechatronics human motor control exosuits |
| title | Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces |
| title_full | Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces |
| title_fullStr | Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces |
| title_short | Soft back exosuit controlled by neuro-mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces |
| title_sort | soft back exosuit controlled by neuro mechanical modeling provides adaptive assistance while lifting unknown loads and reduces lumbosacral compression forces |
| topic | soft wearable robotics neuro-robotics biomechatronics human motor control exosuits |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717625000039/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alejandromoyaesteban softbackexosuitcontrolledbyneuromechanicalmodelingprovidesadaptiveassistancewhileliftingunknownloadsandreduceslumbosacralcompressionforces AT mohamedirfanrefai softbackexosuitcontrolledbyneuromechanicalmodelingprovidesadaptiveassistancewhileliftingunknownloadsandreduceslumbosacralcompressionforces AT saivimalsridar softbackexosuitcontrolledbyneuromechanicalmodelingprovidesadaptiveassistancewhileliftingunknownloadsandreduceslumbosacralcompressionforces AT hermanvanderkooij softbackexosuitcontrolledbyneuromechanicalmodelingprovidesadaptiveassistancewhileliftingunknownloadsandreduceslumbosacralcompressionforces AT massimosartori softbackexosuitcontrolledbyneuromechanicalmodelingprovidesadaptiveassistancewhileliftingunknownloadsandreduceslumbosacralcompressionforces |