UTARI Seminar: Dr. Mahdi Haghshenas

The UTARI Seminar will be held Friday, April 26th, at noon (12pm).

Each seminar highlights a different speaker who will discuss their latest research projects, cutting-edge technology or what is happening within certain technological industries. These industries include biomedical technologies, assistive technologies, automation and intelligent systems, unmanned systems, advanced manufacturing and composite materials.

Speaker

Dr. Mahdi Haghshenas

Topic

REHAB Glove: A Soft Robotic Hand Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation, Assistive Motion, and Human Performance Augmentation

Abstract

The emerging field of soft robotics along with the current advances in materials science and manufacturing techniques provide potential solutions to address the limitations in conventional robotic systems. This enables 3D printing and fabrication of novel flexible and shape-changing actuation mechanisms such as fluidic elastomer actuators or tendon-driven systems integrated into robotic structures to create versatile and adaptive wearable rehabilitation and assistive devices. These approaches are attractive for upper-body exoskeletons and wearable orthoses as they help reduce the complexity, size, and cost associated with current state-of-the-art rehabilitation and assistive devices. Over the past decade, several soft robotic exoskeletons have been demonstrated based on these approaches; however, dynamic modeling and control of these systems and their physical interactions with human body are still a challenge due high nonlinearity of material properties and associated degrees-of-freedom. This talk presents the design and development of a soft robotic hand exoskeleton (REHAB Glove) based on a novel pneumatic soft-and-rigid hybrid actuator for rehabilitation and assistive motion in stroke and cerebral palsy patients. The kinematic and dynamic compatibility of the current hand exoskeleton with human biomechanics were examined and validated through analytical as well as human motion experimental studies which will be demonstrated here. In addition, the current theoretical works including development of dynamic models for torque characterization of these soft actuators along with forward and inverse quasi-static algorithmic formulations for study of the dynamics and control of the human-soft exoskeleton interaction will be discussed. Furthermore, validation of these theoretical models through finite element numerical simulations and experimental studies will be presented. Finally, the other related projects including, soft robotic hand exoskeleton for virtual reality-based rehabilitation gaming, soft robotic bilateral therapy, soft robotic wrist orthosis, and 3D-printed soft robotic mechanisms will be briefly discussed.

Bio

Mahdi Haghshenas-Jaryani, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scientist in the Biomedical Technologies Division at The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI). He is focused on computational modeling and designing of assistive and preventive care biomedical devices.

He received his Ph.D. degree from The University of Texas at Arlington in 2014, M.S. degree from Sharif University of Technology, Iran, in 2009 and B.S. degree from University of Tehran, Iran, in 2005, all in Mechanical Engineering. Before joining UTARI, his research focused on multiscale computational modeling and simulation of physical and biological systems at the micro-nanoscales, especially the dynamic behaviors of motor proteins like myosin, kinesin and dynein. He has authored or co-authored over 15 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He is a member of ASME, IEEE, and APS societies.

Date

4/26/19

Time

12pm – 1pm

Location

7300 Jack Newell Boulevard South
Fort Worth, TX 76118-7115
817-272-5900
utari.uta.edu

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