In this project, autonomous locomotion planning and impedance control strategies will be designed and implemented on Exo-H3 with two purposes: 1) online shaping of personalized walking trajectory to enhance human comfort and 2) real-time adjustment of the exoskeleton impedance (flexibility) during human-robot interaction (HRI). Accordingly, intelligent control strategies will be developed for lower-limb exoskeletons to facilitate a balance between exoskeleton autonomy and human safety, which is technically challenging due to the non-passive and unpredictable behaviors of humans that make the detection of their intention and ensuring the flexibility of exoskeleton’s response harder.

The control strategies in this research project will advance the trending interdisciplinary research on various lower-limb pHRI tasks such as movement therapies, assistive locomotion, and human behavior assessment augmented by an exoskeleton. Accordingly, this research will advance the field of assistive robotics to have widespread impact on the quality of life for a variety of people with disabilities and neurological conditions caused by SCI, Stroke, and other injuries/diseases. 

Current contribution is assisting other students with their project and any software/hardware support for the EXO-H3 lower limb exoskeleton. 

The following testing support structure allowed to attach the exoskeleton in a floating up-right orientation that allow gait motion without being attached to a user. The CAD design was an improvement to an original design with pivoting caster and leveler with custom designed brackets. There was a lack of CAD model, therefore, taking the initiative to create one and redesign to allow portability.

Product design of an affordable and durable hard-shell carry-on suitcase with easy-access exterior pockets for ME256 Product Design course by our newly created company called Nothing Matters.

The project demonstrated the use of product design tools to evaluate the product's need in redesign, objective, current market and customer needs evaluation, defining design criteria and specifications, prototype and final design. Below shows the final product and drawings of the product.

Product design tools that were used: 

1) Functional Model (to highlight key functions of the product)

2) Benchmarking Table (to compare existing products in the market)

3) Customer Needs (CN) Chart (to identify and narrow down important customers need with a ranking and weight system from 1-5 with a final scoring system of H, M, L)

4) HOQ Chart (ties #3 and #4 tools together to provide customer competitive assessment graph with our potential product)

5) TIPS chart (created based on HOQ chart to identify potential issues of the product)

6) PUGH Chart (based on the important criteria, narrow down potential concepts to focus on)

7) Design for Manufacturability Checklist (to score and determine the product will be designed for ease of manufacturability)

Following contribution for this project relating to engineering work:

1) Designed and CAD of suitcase side handle with FEA results for max load during lifting based on airline weight limits. Designed for minimalism and comfort.

2) Designed and CAD front pocket with hexagonal 3D features for protection and aesthetics

3) Designed and CAD the telescoping handle

4) Highly involved in preliminary design with sketches, brainstorming process, prototype/concept design and final proof-of-concept design

5) Highly involved in managing the project and task using JIRA, Gantt Chart and Excel Sheets to maintain project timeline with written documentation and submissions